Aims
- To improve the condition of wood pasture in the borough
- To expand the habitat where opportunities exist
- To promote the value of wood pasture and involve local people in its conservation
Introduction
Wood pasture is a vegetation structure rather than a particular plant community. This structure is a mixture of woodland and grassland which has developed through a long history of grazing under open grown trees (often pollarded). Wood pastures were widespread in lowland landscapes through the middle ages and up to the 19th Century, and as such they are important historical, archaeological, and scientific features.
All of the wood pasture in the borough lies within Epping Forest. Traditionally the Epping Forest trees were pollarded so that grazing animals could not browse off the regrowth. The resulting timber was small in diameter, being harvested for fuel, construction of wooden items and possibly charcoal.
Many of the pollarded trees are now ancient. The complex structure of the gnarled old trees provides a number of microhabitats such as bark crevices and tree holes which are not found in high forest. This makes them of special interest for fungi, invertebrates and bats. Moderately spaced trees with sunlight penetrating to the woodland floor mimics woodland edge habitats and small glades which are amongst the richest woodland habitats.
Current Status
The south of England contains most of Western Europe's wood pasture. The UK Biodiversity Steering Group estimate there to be 10-20000 ha of working wood pasture (still grazed) and a greater amount of relict wood pasture in the country.
Most of the wood pasture in Waltham Forest is hornbeam and oak on flat or gently sloping ground over both acid gravels and areas of London Clay. Gilberts Slade and Rising Sun Wood, Walthamstow Forest, Highams Park, Barn Hoppett, and a small area in Chingford Golf course are the main areas.
Ground vegetation is dominated by Bent-grass (Agrostis) and/or Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus) with red fescue (Festuca rubra), Wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa) and herbs such as Sheeps sorrel (Rumex acetosa), Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) and Heath bedstraw (Galium saxatile). It contains some woodland edge species such as wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) but few typical woodland species.
Epping Forest is internationally important for its saproxylic (dead wood) fauna, and a number of rare invertebrates are associated with the standing wood found in old wood pasture. In particular Ampedus cardinalis, a click beetle found at Barn Hoppet. The rare fungus Piptoporus quercinus recently found at Barn Hoppett (only its second site in Britain).
Specific Factors affecting the Habitat
Cessation of Pollarding
Pollarding officially ceased with the passing of the Epping Forest Act 1878, but there is evidence that it had declined well before that. Overgrown pollard trees have very long, heavy branches which either rip out or make the tree top heavy so that it is liable to fall. These overgrown trees also produce a much denser shade that would be seen in managed trees, affecting microhabitats and ground flora.
Breaks in continuity of dead wood habitat
There are few younger generations of trees and wood pasture is developing a distorted age structure. This can produce breaks in the continuity of dead wood habitat and can lead to a loss of specialised species that depend on this dead wood supply.
Decline in cattle grazing
Cattle grazing is the ideal management tool for wood pasture, as grazing maintains the diversity of the sward and browsing maintains the shape of the pollard boles. Cattle were regularly grazed until the mid 1990's, but safety scares and changes in market conditions, has led to increasing difficulty in securing grazing for the area. The reduction of grazing has allowed the growth of rank vegetation and scrub.
Some maintenance of grass under trees is possible by machinery but it does not reproduce the ecological effects of grazing and is difficult, time consuming and therefore expensive. Mowing also creates a problem of 'green waste' disposal.
Scrub encroachment
Cessation of grazing has meant scrub species are beginning to increase within the wood pasture. Unless controlled, the growth of scrub and woodland species will result in the loss of habitat, a decline in dependant species and a reduced landscape quality.
Amenity use:
The growth of leisure activities has led to pressure for increased car parking and surfaced paths. Both of these factors can suffocate or sever tree roots which are mostly located within the top 60 cm of soil. Increased recreational use may also lead to removal of deadwood for because of safety fears or tidiness.
Climate
Overgrown pollards draw more water than trees in a regular pollarding cycle. Recent droughts and a lowering of the water table have exacerbated dieback in some of the trees.
Current Action
Legal Status
All of the areas concerned are part of Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation, to which the 1994 Habitats Directive applies. Most of the areas are Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Epping Forest is owned by the Corporation of London and protected under the Epping Forest Act 1878 as Public Open Space. The areas of wood pasture are identified as Metropolitan Green Belt and are Principal Sites of Nature Conservation as defined in Waltham Forests adopted Unitary Development Plan.
Bats, and species like the stag beetle are listed on Annex 2 of the EU Habitats and Species Directive and are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Management and restoration
The Corporation of London's Epping Forest Team manage most of the wood pasture in Waltham Forest.
Many old trees have been lost to windthrow, and it is now considered vital to re-pollard as many as possible to reduce their top heaviness. It is very risky to pollard ancient oaks but limited tree surgery is undertaken for public safety.
Subsequent to some limited experiments, in 1990 Corporation of London commenced experimental pollarding of whole coupes of trees which had not been cut for over a century. Hornbeams responded well, but oaks did not respond well. Several areas of hornbeam have now been taken back into a pollarding cycle. Among them are parts of Gilberts Slade, the area around Rising Sun Pond, parts of Walthamstow Forest, Hatch Forest next to the Ching, and parts of Bury Wood.
Cattle grazing has now been reintroduced on parts of Epping Forest, including wood pasture within Waltham Forest. In other areas an interim mowing regime has been adopted to maintain the pasture by preventing scrub re-growth until such times that extensive grazing returns.
A detailed survey of the insect fauna of the wood pasture areas was recently undertaken.
Mechanisms targeting the habitat
Epping Forest Management Plan
Waltham Forest Unitary Development Plan
Woodland Grant Scheme
Key Species
Plants - pollarded hornbeams, beefsteak fungus (Fistulina hepatica)
Birds - spotted woodpeckers
Mammals - noctule bat
Invertebrates - piptoporus quercinus, ampedus cardinalis
Objectives and long term targets
| Action | Target Date | Lead | Other Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map all areas of wood pasture, including scrub | 2004 | WFBAPP | C of L |
| Identify maidens to be pollarded and map | 2004 | C of L | |
| Carry out fungi survey | 2003 | C of L | |
| Carry out National Vegetation Survey | 2004 | C of L | |
| Borough wide Veteran Tree Survey | 2004 | Tree Wardens | LBWF |
| Carry out a survey of oak trees and assess the need for tree surgery | 2004 | C of L |
| Action | Target Date | Lead | Other Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increase size of cattle herd and areas grazed | 2003-2008 | C of L | English Nature |
Pollarding of hornbeams - on what cycle Area to be determined by surveys (see above) |
C of L |
| Action | Target Date | Lead | Other Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Determine areas for pollarding maidens in x location | 2004 | C of L | |
| Identify areas of undesirable scrub and remove 50% | 2005 | C of L | EFCV |
| Action | Target Date | Lead | Other Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigate need for interpretation panels at key entrance points | 2003 | C of L/LBWF | |
| Produce leaflet aimed at existing/new users | 2004 | C of L/LBWF | |
| Put HAPs on web site | 2003 | LBWF | |
| Promote local conservation groups and encourage volunteering | 2003 ongoing | WFBAPP | BTCV |
