Condition assessment comment: |
Units 1, 5-8 assessed together - Plenty of mature trees, some large gaps, canopy cover 92%, NNR managed as minimum intervention so small % above target/acceptable as regen in gaps. Shrub cover layer variable. 3 age classes throughout. Dead wood - primarily fallen (good amounts). Veteran trees scattered Beech/Small-leaved Lime. Canopy primarily Beech/Small-leaved Lime/Oak, scattered Ash/Birch/Wild Cherry. Ground flora variable - Bluebells dominate, Dog’s Mercury, Hard Fern, Soft Shield Fern. Bracken scattered, Wild Garlic occ . Elsewhere ground flora sparse, dense leaf litter, sometimes boulder scree. Species seen Sanicle/Yellow Archangel/Great Wood-rush/Wood-sedge/Lesser Celandine. Typical shrub species: Holly freq/locally abundant, Yew occ, Wych Elm occ, Hazel freq, deer browsing occ low levels. Problems - small amounts Cherry laurel, Rhododendron , young sycamore scattered, Sweet Chestnut, Himalayan Balsam. Few gaps, regen in gaps ok but not dense, may be as many gaps are newly created. No die-back.
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