What happens when a managed woodland is left unmanaged since 1944?

Well for a start a very readable book has been published "‪Woodland Development‬: ‪A Long Term Study of Lady Park Wood‬".  From the summary on the back cover of the book:

In 1944 Lady Park Wood (45 hectares of woodland in Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, UK) was set aside indefinitely by the Forestry Commission so that ecologists could study how woodland develops naturally. Since then, in a unique long-term study, individual trees and shrubs have been recorded at intervals, accumulating a detailed record of more than 20,000 individual beech, sessile oak, ash, wych elm, small-leaved lime, large-leaved lime, birch, hazel, yew and other species.

In the seven decades since the study started, the wood has changed; trees grew, died and regenerated, and drought, disease and other events shaped its destiny. Each tree and shrub species reacted in its own way to changes in the wood as a whole and to changes in the fortunes of its neighbours. Meanwhile, the wild fauna, flora and fungi also responded, leaving the wood richer in some groups but poorer in others.

In this landmark book, beautifully illustrated throughout, George Peterken and Edward Mountford, summarise the ongoing results of the Lady Park Wood study, highlighting its unique place in nature conservation and its significance to ecology in general. It also builds on experience at Lady Park Wood and elsewhere to discuss in particular: the role and maintenance of long-term ecological studies; the concept and form of natural woodland; the role of minimum-intervention policies in woodland nature conservation; near-to-nature forestry; and the desirability and practicalities of re-wilding woodlands. 

There are also historical insights, the rationale for a long term study, case studies, how the accumulated field data has been used in published research, politics and many interesting anecdotes. I can recommend it for anybody curious on the dynamic environment of woodland.

Lady Park Wood outwith the exclosure fence

An autumnal small leaved lime and upland oak wood

A weather forecast for the Brecon Beacons National Park stated fog/mist/low cloud, light rain and negligible wind, so it was with high hopes that I set off for Coed y Rhaiadr, there was fog, negligible wind and light drizzle all the way there until I dropped down to Hirwaun. Where there was no fog, mist or rain and the rotating blades of wind farm turbines indicated wind too. Still there are plenty of options in Coed y Rhaiadr with autumnal colour and I headed for an area of woodland high up the ravine slopes with photogenic veteran oaks. Passing the waterfalls the area is noted for indicated the the tree canopy that provide a backdrop had been stripped of leaves from the recent passage of Storm Ophelia. The oaks I had hoped to photograph were also denuded of leaves, so it was back down to the river.

The numerous waterfalls make it a magnet for photography workshops in the autumn and it hadn't taken long for the workshop providers and punters to stake out their claims. I didn't see anyone photographing the woodland sans waterfalls, which is a pity as the woodland is designated as a Special Area of Conservation. A riparian small leaved lime in autumnal colour provided the necessary inspiration and a native woodland tree that I've rarely found a) in autumn colour and b) suitably sited to make a photograph. From the chosen viewpoint the rain serendipitously broke up the river surface, mitigating the sky reflection. Whilst waiting for the wind to ease I watched a Dipper working its way downstream, diving and feeding from the riverbed. The wind eventually died down to make a photograph and the only audible sound was rain falling and dripping down through the canopy.

Another storm was forecast in a few days time so I made the decision to maximise my photography opportunities and cut short my excursion in Coed y Rhaiadr to visit a nearby upland wood that should have been relatively sheltered from the Storm Ophelia's winds. Some parts of the wood have a closed canopy whilst other parts are more open in nature and mature sessile oaks are spread along a steep sided valley, with crowns and branches shaped by the elements. A few oaks have layered their branches which are mantled with epiphytic lichens and well within tripod height.

Birch, alder, willow, holly, hazel, hawthorn, ash and rowan trees make up the rest of the woodland trees and with more time I would have photographed these, but the oaks were concentrated on for this visit. I do not know anything of the woodlands history, many of the oaks are pollarded and the hazel trees are coppice stools, hinting at a past management regime. The wood is not officially designated as ancient woodland, but is depicted on first edition 19th Century Ordnance Survey maps and some of the oaks appear to be of some age. The lack of regeneration indicates the woodland is overgrazed and has been so for many years.

Eventually the wind and driving rain brought an end to the excursion and a note made to revisit again in the future.

Early autumn in a Scowles woodland.

Autumnal colour in woodlands is a personal highlight in the landscape photography calendar and it usually heralds an invigorated jet stream lining up vigorous weather systems at the UK, sigh. So it was with some relief that a calm weather forecast coincided with beech leaves starting to change colour and a trip was made to a scowles woodland in the Forest of Dean. The woodland canopy is dominated by beech with yew dominating the understorey and occasional ash, holly, hazel, wych elm, whitebeam and lime. Beech trees in the ancient woodlands I am familiar with, rarely synchronise their autumnal colour. Instead it's a gradual roll out with a spectrum of hues from green to fiery orange/red and corresponding leaf fall punctuated by heavy falls in stormy weather. The colour hues shifting from greens to full autumn colour as the days shorten and nights lengthen.

On this visit there was enough early leaf fall to enliven the floor and enough leaves remaining to maintain a closed canopy and include some of the tree crowns in a composition. Some light rainfall had wetted surfaces to saturate colours and overhead cloud provided diffuse lighting. More importantly there was almost negligible wind as the composition hinges upon the lack of movement during a long exposure.  Suffice to type that I was satisfied with the photographic reward.

Killarney National Park - 2

Due to a “series of disasters” Ireland has one of the lowest land coverage % of woodland in Europe and even then a depressing area of that is under commercial forestry of alien trees. The oak woods in Killarney National Park represent a significant percentage of the remaining native oak woodland and are designated as a Special Area of Conservation.

The Killarney oak woods have been afflicted by the Victorian era enthusiasm for alien flora and fauna that saw many exotic trees planted including rhododendron and Sitka deer introduced for sport shooting. Unusually for conservationists they are in unanimous agreement that Rhododendrons and Sitka deer are not desirable for native woodland regeneration. The eradication of rhododendron from the native woodland is an ongoing affair undertaken by commendably enthusiastic volunteers and likely to take many years. Google satellite isn't much use either as rhododendrons form an understorey and what may appear to be broadleaved woodland from above is an impenetrable wall of rhododendrons as an understorey. Additionally in an effort to regenerate the woodland, exclosure fences have been erected to keep out the Sitka and native Red deer, the exclosures do not appear to have entrance gates for visitors. Nonetheless the woodland sans exclosures and rhododendrons is worth seeking out.

There appear to be several generations of oak trees with veteran pollards and coppice stools interspersed amongst maiden trees, pointing to changes in historic woodland management. In some areas a case could be made for natural regeneration, whilst in other areas the regular spacing of oaks in linear arrangement indicates plantations.  Much of the older oak woodland in the Forest of Dean originated from Napoleonic plantations for naval ship timber and oak morphologies in the Killarney woods bear a striking resemblance to the Dean oaks.

The Lusitania flora was also chanced upon, notably the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and Saint Patrick's Cabbage (Saxifraga spathularis).

Fruits of the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

St Patrick's cabbages (Saxifraga spathularis) epiphytes on a veteran oak pollard.

The lichen communities are well represented.

Green satin lichen (Lobaria virens)

Tree Lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) and Green satin lichen (Lobaria virens)

There are also some fine viewpoints in the woodlands offering more expansive views.

Killarney makes a great base for exploring the National Park and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Killarney National Park -1

Nic fancied an autumn break in Ireland, specifically in the South West, so a look at the map and Killarney was a good base, plenty of traditional pubs for the craic and a National Park on the doorstep. I then did some research and discovered that whilst the National Park had open access the rest of the countryside is privately owned, with very restricted access at the whim of the landowner, sigh. According to one Irish hill walking site, Eire has some of the most regressive public access laws in Europe. Further research revealed that some of the Government owned woodlands with SAC status were also closed to public access. At this point I realised the holiday itinerary would be scaled back in ambition and scope. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of hills to walk and woodland to visit.

I'll skip the hill walking bit as the weather was mostly atlantic weather fronts i.e low cloud, poor visibility and/or high winds which mitigated against visiting the loftier viewpoints, confining walking to more modest elevations and photography to views of cloud shrouded higher hills and hazy vistas.

A jewel in the crown of the Killarney NP is Reenadinna Wood, a Yew (Taxus baccata) woodland that has been extant for 3,000 to 5,000 years from palynological analysis of sediments and radiocarbon dating.

Pure Yew woodlands are a rarity and Reenadinna Wood is one of the largest, with the yews mostly growing on outcrops of Carboniferous limestone that are covered by moss. A preliminary scouting visit was made to whet the appetite and then the weather came good with a morning of rain and no wind.

The yew trees host bryophyte communities creating a pleasing juxtaposition of green and red.

A few yew trees were the habitats for lichens.

Fallen yew arils littered the woodland floor and paths exposed the yew roots tracing grikes in the limestone.

Reenadinna Wood is well worth a visit and the next post will cover the Oak woods visited in Killarney National Park.

Upland Peatlands - Photography challenges of moorland

Black Mount hills from Rannoch moor

Rannoch Moor is probably the most photographed upland peatland in the UK, its photographic appeal lies with the changeable weather and hill ranges that form a photogenic backdrop to an extensive tract of blanket bog broken up by bodies of water. Extensive suites of glacial landforms are mantled by blanket bog and the depth of underlying peat and degree of water logging has created a mosaic of vegetation, which has earmarked Rannoch moor for designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Conveniently it has a major A road that cuts across it for ease of access, it's a great pity that it's an 8 hour drive for me to get there. Nonetheless there are other moorlands and upland peatlands.

Typical moorland scenery of a featureless upland plateau 

Most of the factors that make Rannoch Moor so photogenic are sadly absent from many moorland plateaus. On plateaus the 'high' ground takes the form of long whale backs or shallow domes that provide negligible backdrop. Substantial water bodies are usually man made and glacial erratics are usually absent, leaving vegetation dominating the foreground, middle distance and beyond. The exposed nature makes any wind problematic with subject motion blur. The plateau 'flatness' requires low angled light to provide emphasis and definition to a landscape photograph and preferably some weather too. Taking into account the quality of lighting required to enliven rectangles of moorland and sky, I came to the conclusion some while ago that it's more rewarding to concentrate my photographic endeavours away from the flat moorland plateaus to moorlands that provide more topographic relief.

Rolling moorland

Rolling moorland has some welcome topographic relief to provide depth and a backdrop helps eliminate the land/sky rectangle.

Where foreground interest is confined to vegetation then the vegetation ideally needs to be in bloom or in autumnal colour.  Grasslands hugely benefit from snowfall.

It shouldn't come as a great surprise that panoramic moorlands lend themselves to a panoramic aspect ratios.

Water courses provide an alternative narrative and a welcome addition to moorland scenery.

In a future post I'll cover the challenges of photographing upland peatlands that fall outside the moorland category.