Ancient Woodland to Be Managed?

[tree lover 10]

I couldn't agree more! Sheffield Council think manage and destroy are the same thing. This is happening all over the city and our councillors don't care, not even those from the Green Party. Could the fact that they have wood-burning heating schemes that need feeding have anything to do with it?

Perhaps when they need our votes at the next election they will have a change of heart.

 

 

Have read in the Sheffield Weekly Gazette today about a £2million grant from Heritage lottery fund to manage the forests of Sheffield and South Yorkshire.

 

Just wondered if anyone has ever seen what happens to these so called managed forests? They are not forests or even woodland - just a small collection of trees.

 

Whilst I welcome the interests in protecting our forests from erosion and litter mongering - is it really necessary to fell trees?

 

And since when did it become necessarty to 'manage' forest and woodland? Have they suddenly lost the ability to grow all by themselves?

 

Moon Maiden

[skanky 10]

You get nowhere just chopping trees down for fuel. New ones take longer to grow than coppiced ones. When woodlands were set-up and managed, they were coppiced as a way of sustainably obtaining fuel. The coppiced trees regrow back and in the meantime the open areas allow other types of wildlife into the space, until the regrowth is complete. Meantime another area gets coppiced and the wildlife moves to that area. Having been involved in this process in the past I have seen how well it works.

 

Also, there are other habitats other than woodland, and sometimes where woodland has encroached on that habitat, you need to clear the trees to restore it. If we allowed the forests to regrow back everywhere they used to, you could say goodbye to a huge range of wildlife.

 

Try contacting someone like Wildlife Trusts - they may have a volunteer scheme where you can help out with management. It's a very satisfying activity.

[alex3659 11]

if youve ever been on bochum parkway you'll have seen the sign:

 

"SOUTH YORKSHIRE FOREST" but not a tree is in sight

 

if by bochum parkway you mean the one that runs at the side of jordanthorpe you must be blind . there's woods all the way down as far as the boundary social club . you can walk through the woods from jordanthorpe all the way to ford , ridgeway , coal aston,trowey and eckington , these are in full view of bochum parkway about 10 yards from the road.

[beckelina 10]

I couldn't agree more! Sheffield Council think manage and destroy are the same thing. This is happening all over the city and our councillors don't care, not even those from the Green Party. Could the fact that they have wood-burning heating schemes that need feeding have anything to do with it?

Perhaps when they need our votes at the next election they will have a change of heart.

 

I hope that the changes you have seen in the woodlands of Sheffield over the last 5 years have convinced you that woodland management is no bad thing and ditch the conspiracy theories.

 

A lot of the woods in Sheffield do benefit from appropriate management and can provide a sustainable source of energy whilst benefiting biodiversity and access.

 

Perhaps 'tree lover' you should find out a bit more about the theory behind the Council's management plans before flying off the handle.

[price 10]

Originally posted by "Moon Maiden"

 

And since when did it become necessarty to 'manage' forest and woodland? Have they suddenly lost the ability to grow all by themselves?

 

If woodland isn't managed, it's called neglect . If you'd been in neglected woodland you'd hardly be able to move about in it, believe me. Also it's been necessary for thousands of years otherwise our ancestors wouldn't(I nearly put woodn't) have have the proper size wood for making implement handles e.g.and the myriad of other items that were once made of wood, boats, timber for houses, I could go on but thankfully won't. It may be an idea to read up on woodland management moonmaiden that would( nearly did it again) answer your questions more fully

[Greybeard 10]

I couldn't agree more! Sheffield Council think manage and destroy are the same thing. This is happening all over the city and our councillors don't care, not even those from the Green Party. Could the fact that they have wood-burning heating schemes that need feeding have anything to do with it?

 

I think you ought to do a little research into the subject before spouting about it.

 

A couple of books available from Sheffield Libraries could help, - both by Melvyn Jones: Sheffield's Woodland Heritage and Sheffield's Historic Woodlands.

[Dozy 11]

Of course you have to manage woodland. Trees can grow on their own - just as they can become unsafe all on their own.

 

I walk my dog in a small piece of ancient woodland every day and I would prefer not to be hit on the head by a falling branch. Or by a tree falling on me.

 

This wood was thinned out a couple of years ago - you could see from the stumps that the trees were starting to rot inside. They felled the trees, chipped the branches onto the woodland floor and left the main trunk of the tree to rot, providing a habitat for the sort of woodland beasties I prefer not to investigate too closely!

 

Several trees also had branches lopped off, presumably because they were unsafe.

 

Management also includes ridding the wood of the dreaded Japanese Knotweed and cutting back the brambles so they don't cover the pathway.

 

Despite this appalling action on the part of the Council, we've still got a beautiful wood, full of bluebells, with oaks, beeches, holly, elderberries, and any number of other trees.

 

When I look at it out of my parlour window in the summer, all I can see is green leaves - despite the number of trees that as chopped down.

 

If you want to know more about "my" wood, have a look here.

[beckelina 10]

Dozy, you may be interested to know that that heplful little leaflet you have linked to was produced thanks to the Heritage Lottery Grant the OP was complaining about 5 years ago!

May I remind the naysayers not all woodland management is about cutting down trees - it is also about education and information for the people who value and love our woodlands. Hurrah!

[discodown 11]

And since when did it become necessarty to 'manage' forest and woodland? Have they suddenly lost the ability to grow all by themselves?

 

Moon Maiden

What do you think native americans used to do? How do you think you keep a forest in balance? If you wish to preserve an area you have to decide what you want that area to be then aggressively manage it. Its the same principle as farming.

 

Also the preservation order will also include the employment of rangers and so on so people can enjoy the area.

 

People have managed forest and woodland for thousands of years.

[Dozy 11]

Dozy, you may be interested to know that that heplful little leaflet you have linked to was produced thanks to the Heritage Lottery Grant the OP was complaining about 5 years ago!

May I remind the naysayers not all woodland management is about cutting down trees - it is also about education and information for the people who value and love our woodlands. Hurrah!

 

Good grief - I didn't realise the thread stared so long ago!

 

I'm all agin our green spaces being damaged/taken away from us, but I try to avoid the sort of knee-jerk "stop them" reaction that some people have to any proposal to cut down trees or make any sort of changes.