Exploring Habitat

• Acid Woodland

A woodland found on acidic soils, where the tree mix is often oak, birch, and possibly some Scots pine.

• Amenity Grassland

Grassland that is often artificially seeded for recreational use and ornamentation, including lawns and parks.

• Amenity Woodland

A woodland planted for a specific purpose for the benefit of humans, such as orchards, arboreta, shelterbelts, or parkland.

• Ancient Woodlands

Rare, long-established woodlands, often with unique flora indicating their origin, considered the closest to natural woodlands.

• Broadleaf Woodland

A woodland where the canopy is formed almost exclusively by deciduous, broad-leaf trees like ash, oak, and beech.

• Brownfield

A habitat category for sites that are entirely artificial, resulting directly from human activities. Includes gardens, arable farmland, fringes, and redundant railways.

• Calcareous Grassland

Grassland found on chalk or limestone substrates, often in open areas on terrain difficult to manage for agriculture.

• Canopy

The upper layer of a woodland's structure, formed by tree branches, which provides nesting sites for birds and shade.

• Coastal Habitats

Dynamic environments where the land meets the sea, shaped by terrestrial, marine, and climatic influences. Includes saltmarsh, sand dunes, and shingle beaches.

• Conifer Plantation

An area planted with non-native conifers like pine and spruce, often for a timber crop. Indicated by trees planted in straight rows.

• Coppicing

A woodland management practice of cutting trees near the base to encourage regrowth, which supports diverse understory species.

• Dry Heath

A type of heath habitat occupying higher, sandy areas, characterised by species like ling and bell heather.

• Freshwater Habitats

Areas dominated by the continual presence of fresh water, either stationary (standing water like ponds) or moving (running water like rivers).

• Fringes

A type of brownfield habitat referring to marginal areas like the borders of roads and paths, and abandoned or neglected land.

• Grassland

A man-made habitat created by clearing woodland, dominated by herbaceous vegetation like grasses, and maintained through grazing and hay cutting.

• Habitat

The natural home where an animal or plant lives, shaped by essential factors like food, shelter, light, and minerals.

• Heath

A man-made, ancient habitat found on low-lying acidic soils, characterised by a dominant vegetation of gorse and heather species.

• Hedgerow Scrub

A form of scrub where shrubs and trees are managed by humans to form linear barriers or boundaries between fields.

• Indicator Species

Plants and animals that reveal specific characteristics and health of a habitat. Their presence can be used to analyze a site's habitat mix.

• Intervention

The human management necessary to maintain existing diverse habitats and prevent the natural process of succession.

• Mixed Scrub

A naturally generated collection of bushes that are not managed but are developing on their own in suitable conditions.

• Mixed Woodland

A woodland where coniferous trees have been planted amongst deciduous trees, such as pines amongst beech.

• Natural Woodland

A woodland where the trees have self-seeded and grown naturally, without intentional planting by humans.

• Neutral Grassland

A type of grassland that is typically enclosed and more intensively managed for agriculture and livestock pasture.

• Phase 1 Habitat Classification

A standardised system used to provide a framework for identifying, describing, and mapping different types of habitats to allow for consistent data collection and comparison.

• Plantation

A woodland where trees have been intentionally planted by humans, often in straight rows and for a timber crop.

• Pollarding

A woodland management practice of cutting trees above browsing height to maintain tree height and protect from animals.

• Redundant Railway

A distinct brownfield habitat representing former railway tracks from which infrastructure has been removed, now accessible for public use.

• Scrub

A habitat dominated by locally native shrubs, typically less than five metres tall. It represents a transitional stage in succession from open ground to woodland.