| Flora and
Fauna |
| Coppicing is carried
out in coups throughout the wood, typically on a seven year rotation. The
immediate effect of coppicing is to allow light back to the woodland floor
prompting the flowering of many woodland plants. |
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| Throughout a coppiced
wood, coups exist with differing stages of regrowth and thus light availability
to the woodland floor. Each of the varying stages of regrowth supports a
slightly different ecosystem. |
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| Some species of
plant have become particularly adapted to life in coppiced woodland. However
their success depends on the regular cutting of the coppice. If cutting
ceases, the coppice will become derelict and the dense canopy that forms
will shade out the woodland floor. |
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| Dense hazel coppice
in rotation and now being cut. Note how little light reaches the woodland
floor amongst the stools by comparison with the cut area in the foreground.
However, while the dense hazel is shading out plants it is nonetheless providing
a perfect habitat for some woodland birds, pheasants and nightingales in
particular. |
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| Light reaching
the woodland floor is the first step in the creation of biodiverse woodland
ecosystems. Light is converted by plants into the primary resources that
form the basis of the food chain supporting insects, birds and mammals.
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