Witley copse was an example of a neglected woodland. For 100 years it was out of rotation and the woods were left to grow unchecked and unmanaged. When left untouched, woodlands follow a similar pattern; a dense canopy of taller trees will develop, shading out any under growth and other plants which may grow on the woodland floor.
Coppicing woodland prevents over-shading from the canopy, great for ground layer plants such as bluebells, wood anemone, germander speedwell, marsh marigold and violets. After a few years, brambles and climbing plants such as honeysuckle take over, which are a great source of food and shelter for many birds and mammals. Coppicing mimics a natural process where large mature trees fall due to old age or wind blow, allowing light to reach the woodland floor and the opportunity for other species to thrive. Dormice in particular depend on the diverse type of woodland created by coppicing which results in a dense understory, providing bountiful food, shelter and a structure for them to travel through the woodlands by. As they are almost exclusively ‘arboreal’ (living in trees) travelers, they avoid setting foot on the ground at all costs.
Coppicing in nutshell…
With chainsaws in hand, the Ranger team set about cutting the understory, removing all the hazel stems. These are then processed and sorted according to size.