Impact assessments are a key element of deer and domestic stock management in woodlands. Earlier work, carried out in the 1980’s focussed on deer damage assessment methods that were suited to plantation woodlands. However, with the increased focus on natural regeneration and woodland bio-diversity, new methods are required.
Two methods are being developed and tested which are intended to address this need:
- A ‘qualitative’ method that involves subjectively categorising woodland structure into one of eight classes then assessing the impact of current browsing and grazing on seven indicators. The indicators are: basal shoots, epicormic /lower shoots, seedlings /saplings, bark stripping, preferentially browsed plant species, ground layer sward, ground disturbance. The method is documented in The Woodland Grazing Toolbox.
- A quantitative method based on 10 m x 2 m plots, divided into 1 m long sub-plots. Indicators of woodland structure and current herbivore impact similar to those assessed in the qualitative methods are assessed quantitatively. The method has been developed to be practical, easy to implement and to interpret and statistically analysable. Further testing of the method, and of a database to receive and summarize data, are ongoing.
For further information
Contact
Dr Helen Armstrong
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian EH25 9SY
Tel: +44 (0)131 445 6954
Fax: +44 (0)131 445 5124
Email: helen.armstrong@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
or:
Dr Robin Gill
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
Tel: +44 (0) 1420 22255
Fax: +44 (0) 1420 23653
Email: robin.gill@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
