56
Current Management
Since that lime reversion has become Commission policy, the wood was renotified as an S.S.S.I
in 1988, a management plan has been drawn up and adopted under the guidance of English
Nature and markets have been developed so that the wood can be worked in an economic and
sustainable way.
The selection of sites for deconiferisation is made using a number of criteria including;
marketability, amenity, accessibility (both of the parcel and the effects it will have on access to
adjacent parcels), conservation and economics.
The conifer crops which were judged to be the worst, (sylviculturally-speaking because they
contained a high proportion of broad-leaved 'weed' species amongst them), were high up on the
list of priorities. This type of site gave us a higher chance of successful reversion plus a potential
future seed source for more difficult compartments such as the pure Corsican pine (when we
finally corne to tackle these). A small Corsican pine plot has already been selected as a 'worst
scenario' experiment to give us an idea of what to expect when we finally fell the rest (in the
year 2011). The results of Illis are encouraging as after 7 seasons growth the area is fully
stocked with native species; mostly birch, both pendula and pubescens, with a good scattering of
hornbeam. Adjacent to this area is a stand of over mature hornbeam and small-leaved lime
coppice which is being left uncut until after the Corsican pine has been cleared to act as a seed
source.
All other sites that have been deconiferised are fairing very well with a good mixed species
range and significantly less birch. It would appear from the results so far that planting can be
avoided - even in the floristically challenged Corsican pine compartment. If at any point we do
have to resort to planting it will be achieved with site native stock. If birch overwhelms the site
anywhere, it will be controlled with glyphosphate applied by hand-held 'weed wipers'.
The wood contains four small valleys with more or less permanent streams - the hydrology and
chemistry of which are fascinating, complex and outside the scope of this paper. The natural
tree cover is alder carr but three of them have hybrid poplars planted in parts. It is likely that
these will not be harvested and will either be felled and left in situ or killed standing as they
occupy very sensitive areas where water table and humidity levels need to be sustained.
Much of the success in recent years is a result of really sound, practical advice and
encouragement from English Nature (Dr. Chris Gibson in particular) and the hard graft of
several local coppice workers; notably Brian and Gavin Frood (Fig. 1) and John and David
Whiting.
The large scale conifer thinning operations arc scheduled to occur on a five year cycle (the
next is due 2001/2002) and are usually sold by tender or auction to nationally-based forestry
companies who work to a high standard . enforced by stringent conlracls. The machinery used
is usually a modern all-wheel-drive (typically 8) timber harvester capable of felling, de-limbing,
cross cutting and slacking up to 100 cubic metres (tonnes) of timber per day, - the last major
thinning was approx. l,800cu.m. The advantage of illis type of machine is both economic and
environmental as the ground pressure is negligible. The extraction of material is by forwarder
of similar configuration (large capacity, low ground pressure and hence minimal disturbance).
The timber thus produced, goes as sawlogs. fencing and pulp. However the limitation of these
machines is that they are not suitable in some areas with coppice growth. Therefore these areas
are marketed to smaller scale concerns, locally based. These local merchants - known as
'Higglers' tend to fell by chainsaw (known in the trade as 'motor-manual') and extract by tractor
and trailer or dumper truck. The material produced by Higglers tends to be marketed locally as
firewood, fencing and charcoal.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)