Telling Woods from the Trees Summary

Here are the ten key takeaways that define your new "Woodland Literacy":

1. The "30% Rule" for Woodland Identity

You now know that a wood isn't just a collection of trees. Scientifically, it must have at least 30% canopy cover and the trees must be capable of reaching at least 5m in height. Anything less is simply "scattered trees" or "scrub."

2. The Four-Layer Vertical World

You’ve learned to look at a forest in slices: the Canopy (the roof), the Understorey (shrubs), the Herb Layer (flowers/ferns), and the Ground Layer (moss/fungi). The health of a wood is often judged by how well these layers interact.

3. The "Phase 1" Typing System

You can now categorise any wood based on its "canopy recipe":

• Broadleaved: <10% conifers.

• Coniferous: <10% broadlwaf.

• Mixed: Everything in between.

4. "Ancient" vs. "Secondary" History

You understand that 1600 AD is the magic year in British ecology. If a wood has been continuously forested since then, it’s "Ancient." If it grew on former farmland after that date, it’s "Secondary."

5. NVC: The Ecologist’s "Code"

You have moved beyond simple naming to the National Vegetation Classification (NVC). You know that W14 (Beech-Bramble) is the dominant "signature" of the Sidmouth area, defined by its heavy shade and hardy ground cover.

6. The "70% Threshold" for Native Value

Through the Sidmouth Nature Project’s data, you know that if more than 70% of the plants in a wood are "woodland specialists," the site is likely a high-value, long-established habitat (like Combe Head Wood).

7. Botanical "Ghosts" and Indicators

You’ve learned that plants like Dog’s Mercury and Bluebells are historical detectives. Finding Dog’s Mercury in a roadside hedge (like Harcombe Lane) tells you that an ancient forest used to stand there, even if the trees were cleared centuries ago.

8. The Industrial Legacy of Conifers

You understand why Sidmouth has so many straight rows of Douglas Fir. These were 20th-century "timber crops" planted by the Forestry Commission to build national reserves, often replacing older native woods (known as PAWS).

9. Topography Dictates Ecology

You can see the pattern of the Sid Valley: most woods are on the high greensand ridges because that land was too steep or the soil too "base-poor" for farming. Riverside Wood is a rare and precious exception because it thrives in the valley floor.

10. The Shift to "Restoration"

Finally, you know that the future of Sidmouth’s woods is changing. The focus is moving away from just "growing wood" and toward biodiversity, using tools like cattle grazing at Fire Beacon and "corridors" at Greystone to bring back native heaths and wildflowers.