working in partnership to protect the south downs isnt cutting trees down bad ? wood fuel on your...
TRANSCRIPT
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Isn’t cutting trees down bad ?
Wood fuel on your doorstep
6th March 2010
Nick Heasman
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Key dates of human influence on the landscape
• Pre 4,500 BC – first settlers small areas cleared of wildwood
• 4,500 BC – Neolithic man begins large scale clearance
• 500 BC – Half of the wildwood gone
• 43 AD - Roman introduction of sweet chestnut and large scale management of coppice
• 600 AD – Anglo Saxon charters indicate parcelling of land with formation of hedges, boundaries and ownership
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Key dates of human influence on woodland
• Post 1066 – Norman laws passed protecting the woodland resource, Royal hunting forests established. 15% woodland cover
• 1349 – Black Death, formation of secondary woodland on agricultural land
• 1543 – Henry VIII Act to establish protection of mature timber trees
• 1664 – John Evelyn publishes Silva, positive political action saw widescale plantations established, though natural in their form
• 17th c to 19th c – Introduction of productive timber trees, formation of landscaped parks and gardens
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Key dates of human influence on woodland
• 19th c – Decline of woodmanship, Industrial revolution
• 20th c – World Wars, formation of Forestry Commission. Planting of non agricultural productive areas
• Formation of conservation movement
• End of the cold war
• Increase in tree cover once again
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Man shaping the landscape
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Woodland cover in the UK
1895 1947 19981895 1947 1998
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Wood for the trees!
Woodland >2ha = 33,305 ha (20% land cover)
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
THE CYCLE OF MAN IN WOODLAND
Light is life
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
Ideal woodland structure
• Mature trees• Young trees• Canopy of the wood• Understorey of shrubs• Ground flora
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY OF WOODFUEL HEATING SYSTEMS
EMPLOYMENT
EDUCATION
SECURITY
CHEAPER
CLEANER
SAFER
CARBON CYCLE
LANDSCAPE AND
WILDLIFE PRIDE
Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs
The Future ‘…..be part of the
solution’