LOWLAND WOOD, PASTURES AND PARKLAND
LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVES

To identify and maintain the current extent of lowland wood pasture, parkland and individual veteran trees and avenues and promote the importance of these habitats for wildlife.

LOCAL TARGETS

1. Formation of representative groups.
2. Pilot survey of two parkland sites to test and develop methodology, prior to commencing a district by district county-wide survey to determine the extent and quality of wood pasture and parkland habitats.

CURRENT STATUS

Lowland wood pastures and parkland represent a vegetation structure rather than a particular plant community. Typically this structure consists of large open-grown or high forest trees at variable densities, in a matrix of grazed grassland, heathland and/or woodland floras. Tree management, usually by pollarding, has often helped to produce the characteristic veteran trees, while grazing by domestic livestock, deer or rabbits maintains the vegetation matrix (Reid 1997). Chatters and Sanderson (1994) identified 3 general types of grazed lowland woods: grazed high forest, parkland and grazed coppice.

These habitats are particularly important for the fungi, lichens, bryophytes and invertebrates associated with veteran trees and decaying timber. Indeed, according to the UK Biodiversity Steering Group Report (1995) UK lowland wood pasture and parkland provides the habitat for 38 species of conservation concern. The fauna of dead wood (saproxylic species) is threatened throughout Europe and Britain is important for this fauna in a European context. Parklands and wood pasture may also preserve indigenous tree genotypes. Veteran trees may be present in hedgerows.
Much relict parkland remains in the Cheshire region although this has largely been changed to agriculture over time.

The UK Biodiversity Group Tranche 2 Action Plans, Volume II (EN 1998) contains a HAP for this habitat.

THREATS

• Neglect or inappropriate management of individual trees.
• Loss of trees through disease or physiological stress either as a result of natural processes or human activity (drought/soil compaction/root damage).
• Removal of standing and fallen dead wood because they are perceived to be a safety risk.
• Lack of replacement trees, therefore, lack of continuity in deadwood habitat; leading to further slow decline in the quality of the habitat
• Conversion of wood pasture and parkland to other uses such as arable land, amenity land (golf courses etc.) or even housing/industrial developments.
• Inappropriate management of existing parkland and wood-pasture habitats through conversion of surrounding pasture into intensive grassland, or through intensified grazing regimes.
• Air pollution leading to epiphyte and soil damage.
• 'Over-tidying' of parkland sites, such as through the removal of fallen limbs / dead fallen timber, and by carrying out conventional tree surgery, thus removing dead wood habitat from the tree canopy.

CURRENT ACTION

• A Local BAP Action Group was formed in September 1999 but lack of funds has prevented further action.
• Application of statutory powers to protect species and sites.
• Encouraging the appropriate management of parkland and wood-pasture habitats and working with land owners to ensure best practice is achieved where possible to do so.
• Emphasising the availability of grants that can benefit parkland and wood pasture sites.
• Provision of literature and advice to landowners through a variety of organisations.
• Liaison with the Veteran Trees Initiative.
• Development of a draft site register for lowland wood-pasture and parkland.

ACTION REQUIRED IN 2006+

• Further funding to be sought in order to extend the pilot survey into a countywide survey of parkland and lowland wood-pasture sites.
• Input into the development of a national register of deadwood sites, and initiate surveys of the habitat to establish the extent and condition of the resource.
• Support and promote the Veteran Trees Initiative.
• Consider Heritage Landscapes designation or LNR status for unprotected sites.
• To work with landowners and land managers in order to encourage the development and implementation of long-term management plans.
• Ensure that the management of these habitats maintains the full range of features (the full generation structure of trees, standing and fallen dead wood, aquatic and other open habitats, nearby nectar sources, wildflower areas).
• Encourage the use of plants of local provenance, ideally progeny of the existing trees, for replacement tree planting.
• Restore pasture-woodland management on sites capable of responding to the system.
• Establish which species could be used as indicators of habitat quality, e.g. RDB invertebrates, lichens or fungi, and monitor the success of management.
• Consider species whose conservation is linked with that of lowland wood pasture and parkland and produce LBAPs for such species where appropriate.
• Develop training opportunities for owners, advisors, arboriculturalists, foresters etc.
• Develop grant schemes for the management of individual veteran trees.
• Identify key areas where fragmentation of wood pasture can be addressed and actively pursue opportunities for the purchase of lowland wood pasture and parkland.
• Encourage research into: the premature aging of trees, the genetic basis of current stock, the physiology of veteran trees and the effects of grassland management on tree health, mycorhiza, available water, soil structure, root damage etc., in order to achieve better survivorship during tree management and to inform pasture management strategies.

ACTION COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY

• The group was formed in September 1999 and held meetings at Chester, Dunham Massey, Combermere and Cholmondeley.
• Liaison has been established with the corresponding group in Staffordshire.
• Most parkland and wood-pasture sites within Macclesfield Borough have been identified and Cheshire County Council are assisting with aerial photograph and map acquisition, which will help aid the field survey process.
• Pilot survey funding has been approved.

ACTUAL LBAP IMPLEMENTERS

OTHER POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTERS

CONTACT

REFERENCES

Chatters, C. and Sanderson, N. (1994): Grazing Lowland Pasture Woods, British Wildlife, Volume 6 No. 2.
English Nature (1994): Invertebrates Conservation and Dead Wood, Species Conservation handbook, Peterborough.
English Nature (1998): UK Biodiversity Group Report Tranche 2 Action Plans, Volume II - terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
Reid, C. (1997): Draft Biodiversity Action plan for Lowland Wood-Pastures and Parkland, English Nature, Peterborough.
HMSO (1995): Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report, Volume 1: Meeting the Rio Challenge, London.

Date compiled - 1998
Date reviewed - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004

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