Why is Woodland Management Necessary?

 

Surrey is the most wooded county in England with a woodland covering of over a fifth of the county. These woodlands provide a rich habitat for a range of species and keeping our woodlands full of wildlife is important for each and every one of us. Much of the woodland in England relies on woodland management in some form to keep a great mix of habitats and biodiversity. 

 

Without management, our woodlands would grow dark and large trees would dominate the space and create an over-shaded woodland floor. Low level species such as Silver Birch, Holly, Elder, Hazel, Ferns which provide safe habitat for ground mammals, would struggle to grow in these conditions. As a result these ground mammals such as Foxes, Badgers, Mice, ground nesting Birds, Deer, Hedgehogs, Snakes etc would struggle to live in these conditions and their numbers would reduce. 

 

Woodland provides homes for thousands of species of plants, animals and fungi, they absorb pollution and carbon dioxide cleaning our air, reduce flooding, provide a sustainable material - timber and give people a place to explore whilst helping us to relieve stress. By protecting our woodlands sustainably, we will increase biodiversity for the next generations.  

We have invested in our machinery over the last couple of years, adding equipment such as an 8 tonne digger with a harvester head and tree shear and a forestry forwarder with grab arm. Our harvester head can be programmed to cut wood at a chosen uniform length, meaning the timber is at it's best value and easy to manage and store. We have a smaller set up - a 2.75 tonne digger with flail, timber grab attachment & small timber trailer for smaller projects. We also have tracked chippers and cherry pickers to ensure we can access the most difficult of woodland floors. 

 

We believe the best way to maintain woodland is with as much consideration to the ground and wildlife as possible. So, although large forestry equipment can be efficient (and a lot of fun to use), it can cause problems for the woodland floor by compacting the ground and also destroying the homes of many of the mammals living there. Our machinery is small enough to make little impact but big enough to still ensure efficiency. 

 

We have been working with Horsell Common Preservation Society for over 10 years managing 355 hectares of woodland. We have been involved in projects to create new habitat areas, such as Heather Regeneration, woodland thinning to allow light to penetrate the woodland floor etc. As Horsell Common is a beautiful hot spot for walkers, horse riders, dog walkers and family days out, we have also had to ensure walkways are safe from unhealthy, dangerous trees. We also maintain the roadside trees that edge the woodland, keeping the highways safe.