Presentation: Farmer-led climate adaptation - Project launch and overview by ...
West Weald Landscape Project Conference: A secure future for Chiddingfold Forest
1. A Sustainable Vision for Chiddingfold
Forest – Preparing a new Forest Design
Plan
Jay Doyle
District Ecologist
South England Forest District
May 2014
3. Overview
• A Key Forest complex at the Northern edge of
the West Weald Landscape
• Forestry Commission England (FCE) manage
840 hectares (ha) of Chiddingfold Forest
• 500 ha or 90% of the SSSI by area managed
by FCE
• Ancient woodland the dominant habitat
• Land acquired between 1922 and 1958
(majority of acquisitions during 1920’s)
• Significant conversion to coniferous plantation
post-WWII
4. Overview
• During 1999/2000 the entire Ancient
Woodland resource on the PFE surveyed
• Ancient & Native Woodland Restoration
commenced from 2000 onwards
• National Policy launched in Chiddingfold Forest
in 2005 – ‘Keepers of Time’
• Chiddingfold Forest is certified as been
sustainably managed by the UK Woodland
Assurance Standard (UKWAWS)
5. Key Policy Drivers
• UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS)
www.ukwas.org.uk
• UK Forestry Standard
www.forestry.gov.uk/ukfs
• Ancient Woodland Restoration - ‘Keepers of
Time’
• FC-BC Joint Strategy for the Public Forest
Estate – Chiddingfold a Priority Site
• Biodiversity 2020
• Woodland Policy Enabling Programme (WPEP)
7. SSSI Notification
• Largest more or less continuous area of
oakwoods on the Weald Clay
• Diverse range of floristic communities
• Gill woodland corridors
• Extensive ride network
• Diverse insect community – both open and
closed habitat assemblages
• Regionally scarce bryophytes and lichens
• Diverse community of breeding birds
13. Tree species proportions 1999
Chid_Species_1999
Norway spruce
6%
Western hemlock
7%
Mixed conifer
4%
Corsican pine
20%
Scots pine
3%
Oak
36%
Mixed broadleaves
24%
14. Tree species proportions 2014
Species Composition (-open)
Oak
44%
MB
24%
NS
2%
WH
4%
MC
4%
CP
20%
SP
2%
16. FDP’s Explained
• A Forest Design Plan (FDP) is a strategic
document setting out a broad vision for a
Forest Block
• FDP’s set a 30-year vision
• Reviewed at the 5-year interval
• Re-written every 10 years
• Developed through consultation
• Written from a landscape scale perspective
18. New FDP Layers
• Location map
• Aerial photo
• SSSI condition layer
• Ancient woodland semi-natural scoring (1-4)
• Indicative Species Diversity (no. tree species)
• Indicative Age Diversity (20 year cohorts)
• Long Term Vision
• Habitat restoration and felling
• Predicted Timeline for Intended Future
Habitats
30. Opportunities
• Continued progress with ancient & native
woodland restoration
• Restructuring of the broadleaf woodland
component
• Gill woodland restoration
• Enhance & maintain woodland rides
• Increasing the dead and decaying wood
component
• Deepening of partnership working & volunteer
input
• Improved interpretation & expansion of
sensitive recreation & educational activities
31. Opportunities
• Enhanced ecological recording & monitoring
opportunities
• Better use of ecological data to inform
planning and management
• Species Recovery Projects
• Ecosystem service provision & Natural Capital
• Expansion of the SSSI to cover the wider
ancient woodland resource
32. Things to consider?
• Alternatives To Clearfell (ATC)
• Balancing stakeholder aspirations to achieve a
shared vision
• Sustaining uneconomic activities – derelict
coppice management
• Balancing protected species legislation with
dynamic habitat management
33. Things to consider?
• Climate change – potential for increased
impact on woodland infrastructure
• Tree health – pathogens & pests
• Species resilience
• Invasive species – horizon scanning required
• Deer management – landscape scale solutions
the way forward
• A global timber market