Wood pasture and parkland are historic habitat systems where livestock graze beneath trees grown for timber. Such sites contain old trees sometimes mixed with younger trees and grassy glades. The associated species (lichens, fungi, invertebrates and bats) largely contribute to the ecological significance of this habitat, which is also often of historical and cultural value.

In this century, however, much of this habitat has particularly been threatened by changes in land use and economy. The wood pasture idea of raising a timber crop on land also used for livestock production is no longer popular and many previously managed sites are now threatened by neglect.

The South West has some particularly fine examples of wood pasture, especially medieval deer parks. These are of great importance for the conservation of lichens and mosses, as well as fungi and insects that depend on dead wood.

This habitat is poorly quantified. Nationally it is estimated that between 10–20,000 ha of working lowland wood pastures and parks remain but there is a much larger area which may have been wood pasture in the past. The South West is estimated to currently hold more than 11,000 ha of this habitat, including former wood pasture areas. The table gives some examples of wood pasture and parkland sites in the region.

The following are examples of species that depend on wood pasture and parkland, some of which are of conservation concern:

The extent of habitat loss in the South West is difficult to determine, but from comparisons with other habitats it is likely that well over 50% of working wood pasture and parkland has been lost to either neglect or agricultural `improvement’ since the 1940s.

Changes in agricultural practices have caused much damage. The introduction of more intensive farming has inevitably led to ploughing and re-seeding to improve pasture productivity; conversion to arable farmland; and inappropriate use of herbicides and fertilisers.

There has also been poor management of individual trees. For instance, it is now much less common to find old trees pollarded. By this they were cut regularly at a height just beyond the reach of livestock to produce thin shoots which could be used for a variety of purposes. Such pollards can be ancient, and many can be described as habitats in their own right. In public parks poor management can result from innappropriate safety work on trees in part due to the erroneous perception that all hollow/old trees are dangerous. Atmospheric pollution has also taken its toll recently.

There are now a number of sites in the South West that are manged specifically as wood pasture and parkland under Countryside Stewardship agreements. Examples of sites include Ashton Court (Avon), Nettlecombe (Somerset), Killerton (Devon), Melbury Park (Dorset), Sherborne (Gloucestershire), and Trelissick Park (Cornwall).

The National Trust, at Sherborne (Gloucestershire), is gradually converting arable land into wood pasture in areas alongside existing parkland and woodland. Also, at Ethy and Lanhydrock (Cornwall), conifers are being removed from around ancient trees in order to release them from competition and shading of the epiphytes on their trunks. Local authorities, such as Bristol, have undertaken major projects in order to enhance and secure woodland and parkland sites eg Clarkencombe Wood, Ashton Court.

The Ancient Tree Forum has been established specifically to promote an interest in and concern for trees older trees that are past their `commercial’ maturity. It is working to establish best management practice by providing information and management experience of veteran tree sites. The forum is devising a Veteran Tree Survey Form to enable a database to be created. The Somerset Environmental Records Centre is being funded by English Nature and the Somerset Wildlife Trust to record Veteran Trees in selected parts of the county in known sites of interest and sample one kilometre squares.

English Nature has developed the Veteran Trees Initiative with partner organisations to promote conservation by improving knowledge and management of veteran trees. The partnership initiative has attempted to develop and adopt a systematic survey methods for veteran trees.