Old Wood, Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe

Long term intentions

The long term vision for Old Wood is to revert to an uneven aged native high forest, retaining and enhancing the botanical, faunal and historic interest of the site. Specifically this will involve:

- Phased removal of non-native conifers on a two track system:

1) the more damaging conifers (through shading and/or vigorous regeneration) such as western hemlock, norway spruce, and grand fir to be removed by a programme of selective thinning (where they coexist with broadleaves) and felling (in monocultures) over the next 10 years.

2) Long term active selection for native broadleaves in the predominantly scots pine areas over the next century to gradually revert to native high forest as regeneration arises and develops.

The vigorous infilling of canopy gaps over the last few years has shown that the indigenous woodland rapidly reclaims ground on most of the site types found in the wood, when given sufficient oppurtunity. Regeneration into pine areas is slower due to competition with brambles and ferns, and is the reason for retaining the pine canopy for the foreseeable future in these stands. It is anticipated that a proportion of the pine will be retained past senescence. Some intervention to preserve and enhance minor species that should be more extensive - especially pendunculate oak - may be required and will be reviewed in future management plans.

-Minimum intervention in targeted areas of the woodland. These are significantly sized areas with a relatively unmodified semi natural character and a range of age classes, together with a minimal path network. It is hoped that these areas will require little silvicultural or other management and will develop into a self-sustaining systems, shaped by natural processes alone.

-Some localised areas of recent regeneration/planting of ash and oak have the potential for low intensity, quality timber production and some small scale selective thinning may be required in the next plan period to develop this or at least keep the option open for the future. This will be reviewed as stand data becomes available.

- Targeted ride widening will take place on a limited number of botanically interesting rides and a few currently overgrown rides with potential, on the different site types within the wood. This is to preserve the existing biodiversity on the rides and to increase the viability the populations of plants and insects that inhabit them. The areas around the main ponds will be prevented for the time being from scrubbing up to maintain their habitat characterisics, until enough information is available on species prescence/use to guide future management.

- The path and track network was recently upgraded to allow more access for informal recreation, and this has undoubtedly increased visitor use of the site. The Trust will continue to promote the woodland amongst people in the region and members nationally so long as the primary objective of 'no further loss of ancient woodland', especially in terms of quality, is not compromised. Pathworks and useage must not damage ancient woodbanks and populations of notable plant and animal species. If this occurs, the permissive access routes will be reviewed and if necessary changed.

This long term vision for Old Wood is in line with the outcomes in the Trust's Action Plan 'Keeping Woodland Alive' and Lincolnshire's Regional Biodiversity Action Plan for semi-natural ancient woodland.