An Idiot's guide to Ancient Woodland management

[the village idiot]

WIDE RIDENING VIII  (or thereabouts)

 

Just a quick update for you all on how the ride management work is coming along at the Wood.

 

Some of you may remember that we are trying to get from fully tree'd ride edges to a three zone graduation in the vegetation to encourage the biodiversity potential.

 

The ride edges started out looking like this:

 

 

We set about felling most of the trees to a width of 15mtrs on both sides of the tracks, leaving any feature trees and the odd dormouse crossing point:

 

 

The next job was to grind down all the stumps to leave a finish that we could easily mow in the future. 600 horsepower ought to do it!:

 

 

This summer we have started to instigate the ride edge mowing regime to encourage the three zone structure. Short grass next to the centre ride graduating to a longer 'herby' strip, followed by a coppice like region next to the mature trees at the back.

 

The picture below was taken a couple of days ago and shows the zonal structure pretty clearly. We are very happy with how it is turning out, especially after the controlled carnage of the mulching stage.

 

 

We have done around 4km of ride over the last 3 years following this process, hopefully providing homes and feeding opportunities for a massive range of beasties. 

 

We are having a whole host of biological surveys done this year so we can check that we are having the desired results. More news on this when I hear back from the boffins.

 

All the best, TVI

 

 

[Stubby]

23 minutes ago, the village idiot said:

WIDE RIDENING VIII  (or thereabouts)

 

Just a quick update for you all on how the ride management work is coming along at the Wood.

 

Some of you may remember that we are trying to get from fully tree'd ride edges to a three zone graduation in the vegetation to encourage the biodiversity potential.

 

The ride edges started out looking like this:

 

 

We set about felling most of the trees to a width of 15mtrs on both sides of the tracks, leaving any feature trees and the odd dormouse crossing point:

 

 

The next job was to grind down all the stumps to leave a finish that we could easily mow in the future. 600 horsepower ought to do it!:

 

 

This summer we have started to instigate the ride edge mowing regime to encourage the three zone structure. Short grass next to the centre ride graduating to a longer 'herby' strip, followed by a coppice like region next to the mature trees at the back.

 

The picture below was taken a couple of days ago and shows the zonal structure pretty clearly. We are very happy with how it is turning out, especially after the controlled carnage of the mulching stage.

 

 

We have done around 4km of ride over the last 3 years following this process, hopefully providing homes and feeding opportunities for a massive range of beasties. 

 

We are having a whole host of biological surveys done this year so we can check that we are having the desired results. More news on this when I hear back from the boffins.

 

All the best, TVI

 

 

Looking good TVI . Well done .

[AJStrees]

43 minutes ago, the village idiot said:

WIDE RIDENING VIII  (or thereabouts)

 

Just a quick update for you all on how the ride management work is coming along at the Wood.

 

Some of you may remember that we are trying to get from fully tree'd ride edges to a three zone graduation in the vegetation to encourage the biodiversity potential.

 

The ride edges started out looking like this:

 

 

We set about felling most of the trees to a width of 15mtrs on both sides of the tracks, leaving any feature trees and the odd dormouse crossing point:

 

 

The next job was to grind down all the stumps to leave a finish that we could easily mow in the future. 600 horsepower ought to do it!:

 

 

This summer we have started to instigate the ride edge mowing regime to encourage the three zone structure. Short grass next to the centre ride graduating to a longer 'herby' strip, followed by a coppice like region next to the mature trees at the back.

 

The picture below was taken a couple of days ago and shows the zonal structure pretty clearly. We are very happy with how it is turning out, especially after the controlled carnage of the mulching stage.

 

 

We have done around 4km of ride over the last 3 years following this process, hopefully providing homes and feeding opportunities for a massive range of beasties. 

 

We are having a whole host of biological surveys done this year so we can check that we are having the desired results. More news on this when I hear back from the boffins.

 

All the best, TVI

 

 

Looks great. Would love to know the outcome of your surveys. 

[nepia]

Yes, those surveys are going to be the proof in the pudding aren't they.  And I see no reason why the pudding shouldn't be very good indeed!  That's a brilliant range and graduation of habitat you've created.  Great effort and I too look forward to the results.

[gary112]

2 hours ago, the village idiot said:

WIDE RIDENING VIII  (or thereabouts)

 

Just a quick update for you all on how the ride management work is coming along at the Wood.

 

Some of you may remember that we are trying to get from fully tree'd ride edges to a three zone graduation in the vegetation to encourage the biodiversity potential.

 

The ride edges started out looking like this:

 

 

We set about felling most of the trees to a width of 15mtrs on both sides of the tracks, leaving any feature trees and the odd dormouse crossing point:

 

 

The next job was to grind down all the stumps to leave a finish that we could easily mow in the future. 600 horsepower ought to do it!:

 

 

This summer we have started to instigate the ride edge mowing regime to encourage the three zone structure. Short grass next to the centre ride graduating to a longer 'herby' strip, followed by a coppice like region next to the mature trees at the back.

 

The picture below was taken a couple of days ago and shows the zonal structure pretty clearly. We are very happy with how it is turning out, especially after the controlled carnage of the mulching stage.

 

 

We have done around 4km of ride over the last 3 years following this process, hopefully providing homes and feeding opportunities for a massive range of beasties. 

 

We are having a whole host of biological surveys done this year so we can check that we are having the desired results. More news on this when I hear back from the boffins.

 

All the best, TVI

 

 

Thats brilliant,great work

[Stere]

Looks good

 

 

Will linear habitats be in slightly more shade. wonder if  that effects wildlife?

 

But think rides are wide "enough" to get  sun for the meadow grass bits....

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by Stere

[the village idiot]

On 18/09/2020 at 08:38, Stere said:

Looks good

 

 

Will linear habitats be in slightly more shade. wonder if  that effects wildlife?

 

But think rides are wide "enough" to get  sun for the meadow grass bits....

 

 

 

 

Thanks Stere.

 

Yes, the linear nature of rides does mean that they will spend part of each day in shade so going wide is good if the Woodland can take it. A certain amount of shade is no bad thing though as there are lots of plants that like a mixture.

 

An East/West ride will benefit from a lot more sunlight than a North/South ride so it is probably a good idea to give the former priority if time and workload balancing is a factor.

 

Our coppice compartments provide big areas of 'full day' sunlight

[Khriss]

Putting in any Raptor boxes ?  Looks good hunting fr Wols. K

[the village idiot]

On 19/09/2020 at 14:06, Khriss said:

Putting in any Raptor boxes ?  Looks good hunting fr Wols. K

I don't think we really need to Khriss. We've got plenty of the usual suspects (Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Kestrels,)

as well as Hobbies and Red Kites. 

 

Tawny owls are always about. We've even seen Barn owls hunting on the open rides within the Wood which is a little unusual.

[Khriss]

1 hour ago, the village idiot said:

I don't think we really need to Khriss. We've got plenty of the usual suspects (Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Kestrels,)

as well as Hobbies and Red Kites. 

 

Tawny owls are always about. We've even seen Barn owls hunting on the open rides within the Wood which is a little unusual.

Which is good - however a wol box with camera in it would be a fab, some chicks footage always a bonus.  K