Thinning the Oak Plantation at Saltburn Gill

Just as winter began to close its icy fingers around us,the practical volunteering teams worked on a project funded by the Forestry Commission, through its English Woodland Grant scheme. This funding details several projects that will take place to preserve and enhance the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) status that Saltburn Gill holds by virtue of its floral diversity. At Bennison Banks (see map) there is an area of predominantly oak which was either planted or seeded around the 1970's. As many of the trees grew close together there was competition for light and so they became tall and thin, losing the more characteristic spreading branches that we associate with oak woodland. 

As management was needed and could be supported by the Forestry Commission, we decided to undertake thinning of the copse. While seeming harsh we have cut down a number of the less healthy oaks and thinned out those that are growing within the range of branches coming from some of the mature oaks that border the area. Ideally oak trees should have a clear 10m radius within which to grow and spread, but at Bennison Banks this has not happened.


By partially thinning the stand of oaks we are giving the trees that remain more opportunity to reach their full and imposing maturity. We have felled some of the trees at head-height so that there is a part of the trunk remaining that can be left as standing dead wood. This can be colonized by birds, wood boring insects, fungi and lichens. This is an important part of any natural woodland and stands apart from fallen, rotting, deadwood in the range of species which utilize it. The clearance has also created some open spaces which should encourage ground flora such as bluebells to emerge. A potential problem is that it will also allow under-story species such as hawthorn and spreading species like bramble to infiltrate the area, but these will be controlled by regular management.

 Volunteers creating brash piles.

Clearing Trees at Thronton Plantation

Early in November the Inclusive Volunteering teams worked hard to clear an area round a pond at Thornton. The pond was once an ornamental feature in the grounds of a manor house, which has since been destroyed. In the years that passed the pond was gradually enclosed within a plantation of oak, ash, beech and hawthorn, with some yew growing along the original boundary. For a long time the pond was a good habitat for aquatic species, including the Great Crested Newt (GCN); last recorded in the pond in 1993. Since that time the pond has gradually filled with leaves and debris from surrounding trees, making it uninhabitable. That’s where Rachel, our Pondscape officer, stepped in.

 

Within her remit to create and regenerate ponds throughout the region she has been seeking out suitable candidates. It is hoped at Thornton, with past records of GCN’s, that by clearing the pond will entice newts and other inhabitants to return.

To this aim the volunteers have been working to clear trees in a 2m wide boundary around the pond, creating habitat piles as they go. This will reduce the amount of leaf litter falling on the water, opening up light levels and maintaining depth. Some trees will be left in to add variety to the bank and add dappled shadow, while in other areas stumps will be left to form hibernacula (safe areas where newts can over-winter).

The plan is to use machinery to clear the silt from the pond once we have cleared the trees. However, we are not going to attempt to clear it all this year. By leaving half of the site untouched until next year we are preserving an area of habitat for anything that does still live in or around the pond. This will help the pond to regenerate more fully and more quickly when the project is completed.

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