The Woodlands.co.uk Blog
How big is ?
We all sometimes wonder how big a tree is. We can guess the height and measure the circumference, but we really need to know more for two reasons:
- we don’t want to be ripped off even if we’re only selling firewood;
- and the Forestry Commission only allows us to fell trees, without a licence, up to a maximum of 2 cubic metres of wood per 3 month period if the wood is being sold, or 5 cubic metres if it’s for our own use *. Read more…
How old is that tree ?
How often does the question arise “how old is that tree”? Experienced foresters can often look at a tree and make a good estimate, based on trees they have felled in different areas where different growth rates can lead to trees of very different size of the same age.
For the less experienced, ageing trees can be much more difficult, assuming we are not felling them to count rings! Some trees are virtually impossible to age, very old yew, mainly because of their great age cannot be accurately dated, see http://www.ancient-yew.org/mi.php/dating-yews/99 for further details. Read more…
Madder
The bedstraws (see previous blog) belong to the Rubiaceae – a family that embraces a number of climbing / scrambling plants. Another plant from this family is the wild madder (Rubia peregrina). This is a vigorous and evergreen perennial that may be found in hedgerows, and also at coastal locations as it is resistant to wind and salt spray.
Its stems have marked ridges / corners (these can be seen in featured photo) consequently these stems are rectangular in cross-section. They often bear numerous prickles; these prickles help them clamber up and over plants / branches in a hedgerow, not dis-similar to the bedstraws. Read more…
Invasive species : Monk parakeets?
DEFRA has declared that the monk parakeet is a threat. The home of the monk parakeet is South America. It is being viewed as a threat because of the parakeet’s unusual nesting habits. Unlike other parrots, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) use sticks to build huge nests on the outside of a tree’s canopy or pylons – these can reach the size of a small car! In the United States, the nests have been responsible for power shortages, cuts in power transmission, fires and crop damage. However, no damage in the U.K. has been reported to date though DEFRA has expressed concern that damage might be caused to ‘national infra-structure’ and native British wildlife.
Bedstraws
The bedstraws are slender, sprawling herbs that have square stems (in cross-section) and they belong to the genus GALIUM. This genus belongs to the family RUBIACEAE, which includes the Gardenias, Coffea (for coffee) and Cinchona (bark yields quinine = Jesuits’ bark).
Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a woodland bedstraw, which tends to form ‘a carpet’ and is a perennial. Galium aparine ( aka goosegrass, kisses, cleavers, sticky bobs, sticky willy, sweethearts and robin run the hedge) is more common and is a ‘scrambler”; it is also an annual. Read more…
The importance of Coppice workers – a family tradition worth supporting
Coppicing of sweet chestnut in Kent and Sussex is a traditional activity which goes back hundreds of years. This involves not only the regular cutting of chestnut poles but the processing of these into useable materials. Such processing will usually include debarking and splitting – all of which is done in the woods where the chestnut is cut. Chestnut coppice products are mainly used for fencing and are still very much in demand and because chestnut coppice is a hardwood they tend to last for a several decades. Chestnut paling and post and rail fencing is in high demand and is even exported to mainland Europe. Read more…
Heathlands
Heathland is a threatened habitat. Over the last two hundred years, the U.K. has lost some 150,000 hectares of heathland. There is now only 58,000 ha of heathland left in the U.K; this represents one fifth of the world’s total. Areas of heathland can be found in the High Weald of Kent (Ashdown Forest) and the Breckland of East Anglia. Breckland is a particular type of heathland, being a dry heath. The average annual rainfall is only 600 mm or so and it experiences hot summers and cold winters, together with frequent frosts. Read more…
Wildlife organisations
For those wanting to follow up on the different forms of wildlife in their woodland, the following organisations / societies might be of interest / use.
For each there is a link and a snippet from the organisation’s website.
Website of the British Arachnological Society (wiki.britishspiders.org.uk). “Here you can find information on those fascinating animals, arachnids. Our emphasis is on British spiders but we don’t exclude other arachnids such as Harvestmen (opilionids), Pseudoscorpions and Scorpions”. Read more…