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.