What Is Woodland Management?
Woodland management is the process of planning and implementing practices to ensure the sustainable use, conservation, and overall health of woodland areas.
This particular environmental service involves a range of activities aimed at balancing the needs of the environment, wildlife, and human communities that rely on or interact within these environments.
The primary goals of woodland management include maintaining biodiversity, promoting sustainable resource utilisation, mitigating climate change, and ensuring the long-term health of woodland areas.
Let’s get into the key environmental considerations for woodland management…
Preserving Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the cornerstone of a healthy woodland ecosystem. A diverse array of plant and animal species contributes to the resilience and adaptability of these environments. When implementing woodland management practices, it’s imperative to prioritise the preservation of biodiversity.
This involves maintaining a variety of tree species, creating diverse habitats, and protecting the native flora and fauna. Selective thinning or felling is one method that allows for the extraction of timber while minimising the impact on biodiversity.
By carefully choosing which trees to harvest leaving strong mature, seed-producing trees untouched, woodlands can support natural regeneration maintaining a healthy mix of species.
Additionally, creating buffer zones and wildlife corridors helps connect fragmented habitats, allowing animals to move freely and ensuring genetic diversity.
Protecting Native Flora
As part of our woodland management service, we help to promote and protect native flora.
Invasive Non-Native Species are a threat to native flora and are aggressive in the way they spread. Often, Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) can grow in dense stands which often leads to overpowering woodland habitats. As a result of this, they can prevent other native species from existing in their natural habitats.
By removing these invasive species it helps the native woodland plants to re-establish themselves bringing the woodland into a more natural biodiverse habitat.
