Telling Woods from the Trees

Ancient Woodland:
Land that has been continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD.

Broadleaved Woodland:
Woodland where 10% or less of the canopy consists of conifer trees.

Canopy:
The uppermost layer of a woodland, formed by the crowns of the tallest trees.

Coniferous Woodland:
Woodland where 10% or less of the canopy consists of broadleaved trees.

Coppice-with-standards:
A traditional woodland management system where smaller trees (coppice) are regularly cut back to ground level, and taller, larger trees (standards) are allowed to grow to maturity for timber.

Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis):
A plant often considered an ancient woodland indicator species, its presence can suggest long-established woodland.

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii):
A fast-growing, non-native conifer species widely planted in commercial timber plantations in Britain.

Fagus sylvatica:
The scientific name for Beech, a dominant tree species in NVC W14 woodlands.

Forestry Commission (now Forestry England):
A government department established in 1919 to manage state-owned forests and promote forestry in Great Britain, notably for strategic timber reserves.

Ground Layer:
The lowest layer of woodland vegetation, including mosses, lichens, ivy, fungi, and rotting vegetation.

Herb/Field Layer:
The layer of flowering plants, ferns, and grasses growing beneath the understorey in a woodland.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta:
The scientific name for Native Bluebell, an ancient woodland indicator species in southern Britain.

Lysimachia nemorum:
The scientific name for Yellow Pimpernel, a plant species associated with certain NVC woodland communities.

Mixed Woodland:
Woodland where between 10% and 90% of the canopy consists of either broadleaved or conifer trees.

National Vegetation Classification (NVC):
A standardised system used in Great Britain to classify natural and semi-natural vegetation communities based on their plant species composition.

NVC W14 (Fagus sylvatica – Rubus fruticosus Woodland):
A specific NVC woodland community type characterised by Beech dominance in the tree layer and Bramble dominance in the shrub/ground layers, typically found on dry, base-poor soils.

Phase 1 Habitat Survey System:
A widely used standardised method for classifying and mapping semi-natural vegetation and other habitats in Britain.

Plantation Woodland:
Woodland that has been deliberately planted, often for commercial timber production.

Primary Woodland:
Woodland that has existed continuously since the last glaciation, representing an unbroken lineage of woodland cover.

Quercus robur:
The scientific name for Pedunculate (English) Oak, a native broadleaved tree.

Rubus fruticosus agg.:
The scientific name for Bramble, a common and often dominant species in the shrub and ground layers of NVC W14 woodlands.

Scattered Trees:
Areas where tree cover is less than 30%, not typically classified as woodland under the Phase 1 system.

Secondary Woodland:
Woodland that has originated on land that was previously unwooded, such as former agricultural land.

Semi-natural Woodland:
Woodland stands that do not obviously originate from planting, with species distribution generally reflecting natural site variations.

Sid Vale Association (SVA):
A local organisation that owns and manages land in the Sid Valley, often with a focus on conservation and public access.

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis):
A very fast-growing, non-native conifer species that dominates upland commercial forestry in Britain.

Understorey:
The layer of shorter trees or shrubs growing beneath the main canopy in a woodland.

Veteranisation:
Management techniques applied to younger trees to create features typically found in old, decaying veteran trees (e.g., holes, rot), providing habitat for specific species.

Woodland Indicator Species:
Plant species whose presence often suggests a long history of woodland cover or specific woodland habitat types.

Yellow Pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum):
A plant species recorded in some Sidmouth woodlands, associated with certain NVC communities, though its small colony size may make full classification inappropriate.