Ash-maple woods are a much loved and prominent feature of the South West. These semi-natural woods grow on calcareous (limestone/chalk) ground are dominated by ash trees, with associated maple, small-leaved lime, elm and oak.

They contain a wealth of characteristic plants and animals and evidence of past management which has shaped the woods into those we are familiar with today. Although ancient woods are most valued for their wildlife, the ash is one of the few trees which freely regenerates and secondary ash woods, such as those on coastal landslips and abandoned agricultural land, are of considerable value.

The current structure of many woods reflects the ways in which they have been managed either for timber or further back in time as royal hunting forests. Today ash-maple woods are mainly either high forest (forest dominated by tall trees) or coppiced woodland, where fewer tall trees (called `standards’) share the woodland with an understorey of coppiced trees (ie trees cut regularly to provide a supply of thinner shoots). Beyond these are still a few remnants of old wood pasture, where woods were used to graze livestock. Most of these have now been abandoned.

Steeper land, such as Cheddar Gorge and Wye Valley, support ash woods where management has been minimal and a high proportion of the canopy is small-leaved lime. These woods support a variety of rare plants and animals requiring a stable, undisturbed environment and are recognised as being of European importance.

It is estimated that the South West holds 10% of the total ancient ash-maple woodland resource in the UK. The following table gives some examples of ash-maple woodland sites in the region.

Wildlife

The following are examples of species that depend on ash-maple woodland, some of which are of conservation concern:

The problems that face ash-maple woodlands are similar to those that face other woods, most notably in changes to the way they are managed or not managed as the case may be.

Lack of traditional coppicing (due to a lack of suitable markets for traditional coppice products such as hurdles) results in stands of trees of the same age. At ground level overgrazing either by livestock or deer results in younger trees being able to develop. Combined, these factors lead to ever aging woods and a reduction in the biodiversity that is supported in woodlands where there is a rich mosaic of trees of different ages.

In some cases ash-maple woods have been irreparably damaged through either inappropriate planting of conifers or mineral extraction.

Most of the ash-maple woodlands in the region are designated SSSIs and/or have NNR status, which offers some protection.

The Forestry Authority offer grant aid through a variety of schemes (such as the Woodland Grant Scheme) for the management, restocking, restoration and planting of new woods. To complement this grant-aid for fencing to exclude stock from woods is also available, eg Livestock Exclusion areas, such as the Blackdowns Environmentally Sensitive Area, in Somerset.

To encourage traditional and sustainable use of woods, buyers and sellers of timber, particularly small lots of special native timber, are being brought together under a new Forest Authority initiative, 'Woodlots'. A new Woodlots area is being developed for Wiltshire and Dorset. Coppicing and coppice products are also promoted through the Wessex Coppice Group, who provide training and advice; the Wildlife Trusts through their practical management on reserves and the marketing of products.

English Nature and partner organisations have developed the Veteran Trees Initiative, aimed at promoting the importance of very old trees for deadwood, and lichen habitat, as well as their cultural values.

The Brayden Forest Project (managed by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust), is working closely with Forest Enterprise on restoration of conifer plantations on ancient wood sites eg Webbs Wood; other examples of restoration include Harridge Wood (Somerset).

The Woodland Trust plays a significant role in the region creating new woods on land donated to the Trust. A Community Forest for Bristol is an up-and-running major initiative.

Butterfly Conservation 'New Life to Old Woods' campaign aims at promoting the importance and value of veteran trees for dead wood, lichen habitat and cultural value.