Ancient woodland

Ancient Woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland dating back to at least 1600 in England and Wales, (or 1750 in Scotland). Before this planting was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally.

Ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW) is composed of native tree species that have not obviously been planted. Planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) are ancient woods in which the former tree cover has been replaced, often with non-native trees. Important features of ancient woodland often survive in many of these woods, including characteristic wildlife, and archaeology. Species which are characteristic of an ancient woodland are called ancient woodland indicator species, and surveying for such species is one way to estimate the age of the wood.

Ancient woods over 20,000 square metres in size are recorded in Ancient Woodland Inventories (AWIs), compiled in the 1980s and 1990s by the Nature Conservancy Council in England, Scotland and Wales and maintained by its successor organisations in those countries. There is currently no inventory in Northern Ireland but the Woodland Trust is compiling one to be completed in 2006.

Ancient woodland is irreplaceable, and a great deal has been damaged or destroyed. Therefore identifying and properly managing ancient woodland is very important in conservation of the landscape.

Since the 1930s almost half of ancient broadleaved woodland in England and Wales has been planted with conifers or cleared for agriculture. Only 3,090 square kilometres of ASNW survive in Britain – less than 20% of the total wooded area. More than 8 out of 10 ancient woods in England and Wales are less than 200,000 square metres, only 501 exceed 1 square kilometre and a mere 14 are larger than 3 square kilometrers. (Source The Woodland Trust, UK woodland charity).

References

1. Spencer, J. and Kirby, K. (1992) An inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales. Biological Conservation 62, 77-93
2. Walker, G.J. and Kirby, K.J. (1989) Inventories of ancient, long-established and semi-natural woodland for Scotland. Nature Conservancy Council: Research and survey in nature conservation No. 22