![]() ![]() Some of our oldest trees may be coppice stools rather than single stem trees (known as a ‘standard’). There are specific species that benefit from coppicing.įlowers such as Bluebells, anemones and primrose thrive in coppiced woodlands and the rides next to them. Coppicing is a traditional management technique which can rejuvenate a tree and allow it to last for many years and provide further crops of timber or wood. Or, on the contrary, woodlands have been left to overgrow, cutting out all light to the forest floor and leaving an enviroment that is nolonger suitable for 70% of woodland species.Ĭoppicing has been in decline since the 1850’s but in recent years a resergence has emerged as we rediscover this superb, sustainable woodland management practice. Examines the art of coppicing, an ancient method of managing trees, which has important contemporary applications in the sustainable management of woodland. Because of this long history, ancient coppice woodlands are often. Since the onset of large machinary and the phenomena of gathering resourses simply to convert it into money, rather than just take what we need, clear felling and decimation of woodlands has taken place. It was the most common form of woodland management in Britain until the mid 1800s. Instead small areas of woodland were coppiced with a few standards (larger trees) cut for firewood and then allowed to regrow. Coppice was the traditional form of silviculture practised in many woodlands in lowland Britain, and the estimated areas of simple coppice, and coppice with standards, has been declining for at. ![]() We simply did not have the tools or the time to clear fell large areas of woodland. Up until very recently our impact on the woodland was low and sustainable. However, over the last few thousand years, humans have replaced the herbivores and we have become the species that periodically brings in the sunlight. A woodland expects large herbivores to be roaming around, knocking trees down and nibbling on saplings. Coppicing means cutting the stems of trees (often hazel) down to the ground. When a coup is cut the wildlife present only have to travel a few metres to find a new home.Īllowing light to reach a woodland floor is vital for many woodland flora and fauna. Coppicing is the oldest form of woodland management and dates back to 5,000BC. This means that in a small area there is a variety of stages of regrowth, allowing wildlife to find and inhabit their favoured environment. Coppice Association North West Active woodland management for a sustainable future. A Coppiced woodland is split into ‘coup’s. ![]()
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