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Book:	Woodlands
Chapter:	5 Woodland management
Section:	Management plans
Metadata:	Details	Buy this book

General procedures

The diagram below shows the outline approach to the preparation and development of a management plan for a woodland site. The same approach can be followed whatever the scale of the scheme under consideration.

A list of the details which may be relevant under each stage are given below.

Description

Name and location, with the OS map grid reference for the entrance to the wood. The 1:2500 scale map is suitable for small woodlands, and the 1:10000 for large woodlands. Standard methods of marking maps are used by the Forestry Commission, with details given in grant applications.
Statutory designations.
Areas, with sub-divisions if these clarify management proposals.
Aspect, soils, drainage.
Historical aspects, including past management.
Trees and shrub species, dominant trees and abundant underwood shrubs.
Age class distribution of trees: stocking; composition and condition of any natural regeneration.
Ground flora; dominant species and any unusual species.
Fauna, especially any rare or notable species.
Conspicuousness in the landscape.
Archaeological features.
Existing public access and planned future access.
Surrounding land use and other nearby woodland.

Evaluation

Any special values such as rare species, veteran trees, natural features, timber potential or prominence in the landscape should be noted. The site's importance in contributing to a local Biodiversity Action Plan, Habitat Action Plan or Species Action Plan should be noted.

Management objectives

These may include any of the following:

Maintaining and creating new wildlife habitats
Producing wood and marketable timber
Regenerating woodland
Enhancing the landscape
Restoring or improving industrial or derelict land
Providing public recreation
Providing employment
Providing sporting use
Providing shelter for crops, animals or buildings
Involving the local community
Screening unattractive views, reducing traffic noise

Some of these are discussed further below.

Management proposals

This should include the long term strategy and a five year summary work plan. The long term strategy may include any of the following operations. The five year summary plan will specify the areas to be worked and the main operations to be done in the next five years:

New planting or replanting

Site preparation
Species to be planted
Mixtures and planting patterns
Spacing
Protection against deer, rabbits, domestic stock, people
Weed control
Beating up (replacement of losses)

Natural regeneration

Species
Site preparation
Felling of parent trees, stand opening
Respacing, protection and weeding

Felling and thinning

Reasons for felling and thinning
Type and pattern of felling and thinning
Route for removal of timber

Clearance

Removal of invasive species such as rhododendron
Clearance of undergrowth to diversify habitat or improve access

Coppice

Maintenance of existing coppice regime
Restarting coppice regime
Converting coppice to high forest by singling

Pollards and veteran trees

Management work to perpetuate pollards and ancient trees

Access

Access improvements for management and recreation purposes

Glades

Management of glades and other open spaces

Other habitats

Ponds, streams and wet ground. Hedges, woodbanks and other boundaries. Planting or sowing of woodland ground flora.

Monitoring

Monitoring must be included, so that the results of any management work are measured and evaluated. Lessons from monitoring can then be included in a review of the management plan, which should normally be made every five years. Monitoring involves recording the state of the woodland at the start of the period, the work done and how the wood responded. There are many aspects of management which may be monitored, including the following:

Response of the woodland to coppicing, thinning, felling, fencing or other operations.
Changes in woodland structure or species composition.
Amount and type of natural regeneration.
Success rates of tree planting.
Success rates of woodland flora planting or sowing.
Control of woody weeds such as rhododendron.

Fixed point photography is a simple and useful method of recording changes in the woodland. Further advice on monitoring vegetation changes is available in Forestry Commission Bulletin 108 (1992).