Woodlands

Badger

Bats

Bluebell

Green hairstreak

Kestrel

Song thrush

Tree sparrow

Vaccinium species

Associated Habitat action plans

Deadwood

Hedgerows

Gardens / allotments / parks and open space

Ancient and semi-natural woodland

Ancient woodlands are those occupying sites which have been wooded continuously for several hundred years. This is taken as being known to have been present since at least 1600 AD (and potentially much earlier).

Semi-natural woods are composed of tree and shrub species which have not been planted.

Note: "Ancient and semi-natural" woodland (A S-NW)

• Ancientness refers to the site as woodland whereas
• Naturalness refers to what is growing on that site.

The age of the site as woodland and the naturalness of the stand on a site are independent of each other.

A S-NW are generally richer for wildlife and support rarer habitats and species than more recent or less natural woods.

The area of Ancient woodland (present since at least 1600 AD) is recorded in the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) from the 1989 West Midlands Report. This surveyed woodlands over 2 hectares. Birmingham and the Black Country has 301 hectares of Ancient woodland out of a total woodland area of 1,429 hectares.

However this is an underestimate due to the number of woodlands which are under 2 hectares and not included. Ancient woodlands tend to be characterised by having "ancient woodland indicator species" plants such as e.g. yellow archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon and wood millet Millium effusum which are poor colonisers. Historically virtually all woodlands in this area have been managed with coppicing being commonplace and coppice and standards, the normal practice for much of the recent past. Amenity value has become increasingly important more recently. Since the second world war most woodland has been under or unmanaged.

In the Birmingham and Black Country (BBC) area Ancient woodland varies due to underlying geology and usage. On wetter clay soils, generally in valleys, oak dominated woodland grades into oak/alder woods with alder in wetter places. Other species present include ash, aspen and downy birch with hazel, hawthorn, holly and elder.

Some of these woodlands are situated in remaining areas of countryside and some are remnant woodland now surrounded by built up areas.
Examples of Ancient woodland include Alder Coppice, Dudley; Merrions Wood, Walsall; Ashen Coppice, Wolverhampton and Pills Wood, Birmingham.

On lighter, drier and sandy more acidic soils, oak and birch dominates often with scattered hawthorn, rowan and elder. Examples include Golf Course Wood, Sandwell and Leighs Wood, Walsall.

Where soils are wetter and more basic (calcareous), oak and ash often in valley or dingle woods occur with alder, birch, wych elm, hazel and hawthorn. Ground flora is often rich in ancient woodland indicator species. Examples occur particularly in Dudley with dingle woods e.g. Cotwall End Dingle, Wollescote and Hodgehole Dingles. Elm was formerly a major component of the canopy.
Many woods have a large amount of sycamore present.
Where wetter conditions occur, willow and alder dominate (see Wet woodland.)

Wet Woodland

In Birmingham and the Black Country this tends to occur along rivers and streams as linear features which due to physical conditions have been left as remnants within built up areas. Boundaries between wet woodland and other types within woodland may be gradual or clear and may change over time.
They are dominated by willow (generally crack willow) and alder.
Catchment areas such as the River Rea and Cole in Birmingham and River Tame, Sandwell and Birmingham and River Stour, Dudley and Sandwell have extensive linear wet woodlands.
They were generally managed by coppicing and pollarding in the past, but today are often neglected except where riparian works take place. Due to the lack of data, the exact area is unknown.

Lowland wood-pasture and parks

These are a product of historic management, such as pollarding and grazing, however this has largely ceased in recent times.
The extent of historic lowland wood-pasture and parks in this area is unknown. Remnant areas are present often within other habitats, for example woodland and formal parks, which may have a matrix of vegetation present.
The present extent of management of this habitat is unknown but it is generally ad hoc relating to current landuse (for example safety-orientated in formal parks).
Lowland wood-pasture and parks often have valuable associated species present, (see Deadwood habitat action plan.)

Veteran and Notable Trees

The current status in this area is unclear.

It is difficult to produce a clear, definition of an ancient tree. They do, however, share common features and can be broadly defined as : "Trees that are of interest biologically, aesthetically, or culturally because of their age." In general they will have passed any commercial life-span and may be in decline. The actual age at which trees can be considered as ancient varies according to species, birch probably never reaching 200 years old, willows ancient at this age, beech and ash starting to become interesting, oak only just maturing, and yew maybe only beginning. It is also the fact that trees may be notable due to associated species present without being very old, although in general these increase with age. From a cultural point of view, for example, old fruit trees are an important and declining resource. Dying and dead trees are valuable for the associated species present -(see Deadwood HAP.)

Each tree should be treated as an individual, further survey work being vital in building a data base as to the numbers and value present. Any tree on the first edition Ordinance Survey map and still present today should be worthy of this status plus others as recorded. Special note should be taken of recording trees with associated species present and including pollards and coppice stools, old fruit trees and individual trees wherever present (within woodland, on boundaries and within built-up areas). Survey using the Veteran Trees Initiative methodology is advised.

Such trees are products of past land use and tend to survive due to their value from an amenity point of view. However, such trees are under threat of loss from development and from safety implications. Also loss maybe due to natural decline including lack of management such as lack of pollarding. They tend to be managed on an ad hoc basis mainly with safety being paramount and are often adversely affected by lack of knowledge and inappropriate management.

Although many may be protected by Tree Preservation Orders (T.P.O.), this is undertaken on an individual basis and there is no overall co-ordinated census or recording.

Scrub and naturally regenerating woodland

Scrub occurs as part of a vegetation dynamic with other habitats, for instance with grassland as open grassland becomes colonised by shrub species through a mosaic of scrub and grassland to dense scrub, often of a single species and age. The value for wildlife depends on the species present and age range and due to the successional nature will vary over time. Naturally regenerating woodland varies with species composition and may include scrub as its younger stages. It occurs naturally where conditions allow for succession with grazing being a crucial factor in whether or not it increases or declines. Traditionally in the Black Country grazing by tethered ponies has managed scrub habitat mosaics and maintains their value for wildlife.

Because scrub is a colonising habitat and often an intermediate habitat between other habitats such as grassland, heathland and woodland, it may not be appreciated as a valuable habitat in its own right. However it may form a valuable mosaic with important species present such as the green hairstreak butterfly.

Types of scrub and naturally regenerating woodland vary from grassland, heathland or urban 'wasteland' becoming regenerated with young birch, willow and hawthorn and/or tree species such as oak or often sycamore.
Much depends on the wetness or dryness of the site, nearby species present, presence of grazing and length of time between changes in management of the habitat. It can vary from sparse bushes through to a mosaic of scrub and open habitat up to dense single age and single species scrub. Also it will change over time with young woodland the potential successional outcome.

Introduced woodland

This habitat includes commercial plantations, amenity plantings and, increasingly in the Black Country area, new woodlands as part of the Black Country Urban Forest.

Secondary woodland

This includes open land where woodland has colonised again over time.

Ancient broad-leaved semi natural woodlands (including general objectives for woodlands)

Wet woodland

Lowland wood-pasture and parks

Veteran Trees

Scrub and naturally regenerating woodland

Introduced and secondary woodlands

Ancient broad-leaved semi natural woodlands ( including general actions for woodlands)

Wet woodland

Lowland wood-pasture and parks

Veteran Trees

Scrub and naturally regenerating woodland

Introduced and secondary woodlands