March 2023 update

Heathland restoration

All of the selected tree felling as part of the project has now been completed, creating open spaces that let in more light which will help the heather to grow and spread. 2,000 tonnes of timber has been taken off the island, and nearly all of the remaining stumps have been removed. This will ensure that nutrients aren’t added to the soil and will aid the regeneration of nutrient poor-loving heathland habitat

Continued maintenance will be needed to control bracken, rhododendron, and pine from returning. The remaining roots and branches have been scraped away exposing soil that has a good mixture of organic and mineral material.

Tracks

Over 4.000 tonnes of gravel was delivered to the island and most of the tracks have now been re-surfaced. In April a specialist company came on site to check that the tracks had the correct levels to ensure that any excess water drains away. The summer weather helped dry out the tracks too, but some of the wetter areas have had new drainage fitted.

What has the Countryside Stewardship work involved?

A significant part of the work has centred around woodland management, beneficial to significant native trees, with the aim of improving species and structural diversity across Brownsea’s woodland and creating a wooded heath habitat, similar to the wooded heath of the New Forest.

This will take time to realise the benefits, but works towards this have included the control and removal of invasive species such as rhododendron and the thinning of woodland compartments where pine and other trees were too densely packed, less productive as a result and also shading out the woodland floor below. Undertaking this work has already seen heathland begin to regenerate.

The importance of heathland

Heathland is a precious habitat, rarer than rainforest with more than 80 per cent of lowland heathland being lost since 1800. If not managed, it can be lost to dense areas of pioneer tree species like Scots pine and birch.

As well as being rich in biodiversity, heathlands store carbon, and contain among the hightest amounts of carbon per unit area of any habitat, with soil stocks of up to 374 tonnes per hectare. Protection of heathland habitat is therefore not only important for biodiversity, but the carbon stocks they hold, as both may have taken centuries to accumulate.

By avoiding clear felling in heathland restoration and undertaking selective thinning instead, we've been able to manage the landscape as part of this project to improve the priority heathland habitat and maintain carbon stocks.

'This management has already begun to show benefits to both woodland and heathland species, in supporting the spread of Brownsea’s unique wooded heath habitat. Longer term, it will ensure a continuing food supply from trees in better health, and with a varied age structure that will continue to contribute to the food supply of the population of red squirrels and wider biodiversity, well into the future.'

– Tim Hartley, Countryside Stewardship Project Manager and Lead Ranger, Brownsea Island

Protecting Brownsea's red squirrels

A red squirrel habitat assessment took place in 2019 and highlighted the benefits of selective woodland thinning in improving woodland health for red squirrels. Thinning not only allows for regeneration of younger trees and improves the ecological and structural diversity of woodland to ensure continuity into the future, but also creates more space in the canopy, enabling trees to form larger crowns and produce a larger yield of seeds as food.

We have many of the beneficial tree species already on the island: pedunculate (English) oaks, rowan, hawthorn and yew, as well as shrub layer species like bell and cross-leaved heathers, ling and gorse. But the thinning of tight pine stands, in conjunction with controlling invasive species, will mean we will start to see natural regeneration of these more beneficial, native species.

How will the project affect my visit?

Although capital works have now been completed, ongoing works to manage invasive species will from time-to-time need to take place. Visitor routes may need to be adapted while work is carried out in targeted areas, but we aim to keep disruption to a minimum whilst ensuring the safety of visitors.

How has the island changed?

Visitors returning to the island will be able to see the immediate impact that the project has had here in places across the island. Areas that have had targeted tree works will appear more open, letting light into the woodland floor and while it is still early days, just a year and a half into the project there's already some really promising signs of heathland regeneration as a result of the works.

Penelope Park is a good place to see the benefits that this conservation work will eventually bring and is a good example of a wooded heath habitat that's been created through similar management over the last 10 years. This area of the island was used as an example site to demonstrate how areas might be managed as part of this project and what areas targeted will come to look like in years to come.

You can learn more about the project in a number of ways including:

• New indoor and outdoor interpretation: We've installed some new displays and a 3D model in the Visitor Centre that provides a visual of what the island’s habitat will look like after the project is complete. We'll also have some outdoor interpretation stationed near the work so you can learn about the conservation as it's in action.
• Ask one of our team: Staff and volunteer wardens are on hand to answer any questions you may have about the project.

The project runs until 2026 and will also see improvements to tracks across the property. These improvements are necessary to facilitate the conservation work being undertaken now but also in the future and will also benefit our visitors.