This is sometimes known as ‘continuous cover forestry’ and delivers benefits for climate, nature and people by taking a whole system approach. These systems increase species and structural diversity, improving resilience and provision of ecosystem services.
Dorset’s woodland habitats of broadleaved, mixed, wet woodland, and scrub are sustainably managed, resilient, expanded, and better connected.
The priority is to make existing woodland habitats bigger and in better condition through enhanced and informed management and expansion. And to ensure woodland and supporting habitats are well-connected, allowing wildlife to travel between them for food, water, breeding and in response to climate change. Where necessary this may involve creating new areas of wildlife-rich habitat to fill in gaps where small areas of woodland are not well-connected to other areas. Woodland management and new woodland establishment should be consistent with the UK Forest Standard, working to the principle of: ‘Right Tree, Right Place, Right Management’.
Habitat restoration and connectivity are most important for Dorset’s ancient woodlands that have existed since at least 1600 and long established woodlands that have been present since at least 1893. This includes acting now to begin careful, informed and gradual restoration of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS). PAWS were originally ancient woodlands but have more recently been planted with non-native species for commercial purposes.
Sustainable woodland management, known as forestry or silviculture, balances our need for forest products and benefits with the need to keep forests healthy and usable for future generations. Management practices will be chosen based on assessment of existing habitat and species and the site objectives. Here are some of the more nature-rich management practices:
Habitat restoration and connectivity are most important for Dorset’s ancient woodlands that have existed since at least 1600 and long established woodlands that have been present since at least 1893. This includes acting now to begin careful, informed and gradual restoration of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS). PAWS were originally ancient woodlands but have more recently been planted with non-native species for commercial purposes.
Woodland management
Woodland management and new woodland establishment should be consistent with the UK Forest Standard, working to the principle of: ‘Right Tree, Right Place, Right Management’.Sustainable woodland management, known as forestry or silviculture, balances our need for forest products and benefits with the need to keep forests healthy and usable for future generations. Management practices will be chosen based on assessment of existing habitat and species and the site objectives. Here are some of the more nature-rich management practices:
In some circumstances these nature-rich management practices won’t be appropriate, but other sustainable woodland management can be delivered that still makes some space for nature.
Trees outside of woodland are important connectors across the landscape, especially ancient and veteran trees. Activities to support trees outside of woodland are therefore included under several priorities, such as priority 6, priority 7 and priority 8.
Trees outside of woodland are important connectors across the landscape, especially ancient and veteran trees. Activities to support trees outside of woodland are therefore included under several priorities, such as priority 6, priority 7 and priority 8.
Typical woodland species
Greated spotted woodpecker
Tawny owl
Silver washed fritillary
Nature recovery in action
Since 2007, the Cranborne Estate has fundamentally changed the way it manages its woodlands shifting from clear-felling to Irregular Forest Management (also known as Close-to-Nature Forestry). This approach works in harmony with the natural functions of the forest and seeks to maintain and restore a fully functioning forest ecosystem. Individual trees are selectively harvested every 5 to 12 years. The resulting gaps are filled by natural regeneration from the seed of surrounding mature trees. Over time this results in a resilient forest of intimately mixed species and ages with high variability in degrees of canopy openness.The method delivers multiple ecosystem services, including the sustainable production of high-quality timber, and the provision of habitat for a rich and diverse fauna including many species
of birds and bats.
Norway Spruce plantation. Photo credit: Cranborne Estate
Potential activities
See what activities people can carry out to help achieve this priority. You can view them all, or just look at the one most relevant to you. These activities are a guide and are not exhaustive, as there are many small activities involved in habitat management and restoring ecosystems.The activities and Dorset’s nature recovery maps provide a starting point, but additional land management and ecological advice will often be needed to support activities on individual sites.
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Listed here are all the potential activities for this priority:- manage woodland to improve ecological condition, by all woodland managers creating and implementing a woodland management plan that is UK Forestry Standard compliant. Following a management plan helps maximise biodiversity, and wider environmental and economic benefits
- for individual ancient and veteran trees, wood pasture, and parkland, create and implement bespoke management plans
- protect, enhance and connect the remaining ancient woodland sites and ancient and veteran trees
- enhance the structure and diversity of existing woodlands, by increasing the variety of ages of trees, canopy structure, and species. As well as retaining and creating open space and standing and fallen deadwood
- act now to undertake gradual and informed restoration on Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS). Start by protecting and enhancing existing native woodland features like veteran trees and plants below the trees, then gradually change all the trees to native broadleaf woodland as quickly as is ecologically sensible
- integrate agroforestry systems on farms and agricultural businesses, this involves growing trees, hedges and shelterbelts on farmland alongside crops and grazing livestock. For example, silvopasture or silvoarable. Increasing trees across the farm landscape can help connect woodlands, boost soil fertility, retain water and provide shade and forage for livestock
- where restocking existing woodlands, and appropriate to site objectives, use natural regeneration, from existing seed sources to improve the structure and resilience of woodlands
- expand and buffer native woodlands, using natural colonisation where seed sources are present. Support the development of woodland, scrub and different types of ‘woody’ mosaic habitats
- in woodlands on acid soils, retain, buffer and connect heathland remnants to support species movement and restoration, for example by managing rides and tracks. In these areas it should be a priority to remove conifers, and restore mire systems with scrub and wet woodland components
- as part of woodland habitat creation or enhancement, keep existing wet features like depressions or re-wet historically wet areas of the land, creating or enhancing ponds where appropriate.
- establish new woodlands consistent with the UK Forest Standard, applying the ‘right tree, right place’ principle. Ideally create new woodland that buffers, expands and links existing woodlands, especially ancient woodlands
- source and use a diverse range of bio-secure trees and plants for tree and woodland establishment projects. Use a broad and mixed palette suited to objectives. Use native species where possible, if using non-native species to provide climate resilience, prioritise near- native species and never use species that are likely to become invasive or plant large scale monocultures
- restore and establish new areas of wood pasture, parkland, and traditional orchards to increase biodiversity and create corridors for species to move between adjacent woodlands. Manage these habitats to maximise diversity of species and structure, for example, restorative pruning, seasonal grazing
- set up or use a community tree nursery to supply, bio-secure, locally sourced and grown native trees for community tree planting projects. This could include individuals growing trees from seed at home before sharing with others
- enhance and create hedgerows to ensure a diverse mix of tree and hedgerow plants and stagger the management cycle
- maintain active management of coppice stands and woodlands, and restore lapsed coppice woodlands, bringing these into management, delivering environmental benefits, wood products and economic benefit
- support the continuation of the hazel coppice industry and related rural industries such as hedge laying, to ensure associated woodland and hedgerow management continues
- increase the productivity of our native and mixed woodlands, using sustainable practices, to reduce imports of wood products from countries where their production is impacting nature and the environment. Support and develop local woodland related industries, skills and markets
- where possible implement Minimum Intervention Areas to enable a more natural, unmanaged, woodland structure to evolve, this will benefit wildlife species such as bats
- maintain and increase street trees to enhance the canopy cover in towns and villages (see priority 6 for more on street trees and urban forests)
- coordinate landscape management of deer, grey squirrel and invasive species as outlined under priority 12