Penn Wood - Kings Stanley
Long term intentions
The long term intensions for Penn wood are to manage the identified key features of the woodland towards the vision identified for each feature. Other habitats within the woodland habitat represented across Penn woodland have been identified as being of bio-diversity importance. Rides, Glades and woodland edge habitats make a great contribution to woodland bio-diversity. Rides and glades within woodlands provide open habitats and are vital for light demanding species. The scrubby external edges of woodlands provide habitats for a large number of birds and invertebrates. Generic to both woodland key features will be a commitment to increasing levels of deadwood (particularly standing, measures will also be taken to ensure the growth of trees to ecological maturity. production of veteran trees.
For PAWS key feature the vision is to maintain the area as a wind firm, structurally diverse predominately high forest woodland of mixed native broadleaved species. This will be achieved by promoting regeneration beneath canopy gaps created through selective felling and group felling. Natural regeneration is abundant on site and will be recruited for future high forest canopy replacement. This combination of regeneration techniques provides the opportunity to target seed producing Sycamore during canopy removal. It is felt that thinning will help to maintain wind firm canopy trees and this will be the preferred option where trees form the skyline. It is expected that beech will remain the dominant viable regeneration below thinned canopy, as it is more shade tolerant. Group felling across lower slopes within the PAWS provide the opportunity to create more open conditions for regeneration where it is expected that ash will become the climax species. Targeting ride side areas with this form of management can help to improve internal aesthetics and conditions along shaded paths on damp soils.
The vision for the key feature Secondary woodland is also based on the gradual conversion of the even-aged structure to one of uneven-age. Much of this key feature (circa 1.5 Ha’s) will be brought under coppice management (alongside the county roadside and permissive bridleway). It is thought that regeneration fellings will be the only required form of canopy management throughout the rest of this area. This is favoured over the more visually sensitive thinning regime, as this area of woodland does not directly form a part of the scarp’s tree line. It is also less exposed, being flatter in nature and thus windthrow hazard permits the opening of canopy coupes for regeneration purposes. A thinning regime across this secondary woodland, in such proximity to mature beech, may skew conditions in favour of an unnatural perpetuation of this species. Mature Sycamores will be targeted and sycamore regeneration will be maintained at a non-seed producing age.
The options for woodland management at Penn include Minimum intervention and Coppicing (including coppice with standards). High forest has been established now for at least one rotation. Coppicing has not been a part of the recent historical management of the PAWS. Wide scale re-introduction of coppice management would be detrimental to the predominately shade loving invertebrate and plant species that have developed over time. Managing Cotswold woodlands on a minimum intervention regime is only feasible where a cessation in traditional management has occurred over a long period of time. At Penn woodland this is not the case.
Informal Public Access, this is key to delivering the Woodland Trust core objective of increasing the public’s level of enjoyment of woodland. This key feature of Penn wood will be managed to maintain the existing types of public access and to realise any potential for increasing both numbers and benefits associated with public access. Management will also de directed at improving the surface of routes where bearing capacity does will not currently (2003) adequately support combined informal public access and management access. Securing the main management gateway into the site to avoid continuation of fly tipping will ensure that visitors enjoy visiting the woodland and are safe when they are there. Improvement works are deemed necessary to maintain current (2003) levels and types of usage. Sensitive stoning of routes will be required along permissive bridleway sections. The commitment to monitoring the public use and responding to changes reflects the Woodland Trust’s core objectives and ensures that we are responding to landscape recreational changes in this recreationally diverse area.
