Creating a new woodland can be as easy as: tree, eco-guard, cane. However, take a moment. Can your woodland design be tweaked to further support wildlife? Can you make the chosen area work harder and get a better ‘yield’ of wildlife per hectare? This article will highlight some of the important considerations and features which can take a basic tree planting project into a diverse woodland habitat scheme, providing vital habitat and an in turn an abundance of wildlife.

Currently, one of options for landowners is applying for a woodland creation grant (a few types are available). Predominantly, landowners who are planting woodland are doing so on unproductive fields, sites that link up habitat, or areas which will increase the size of an already established woodland. New woodland can provide diversified income, help mitigate climate change, a refreshing change in the work calendar and a feel-good factor from providing habitat for wildlife.

When designing a woodland for nature it is useful to consider the following questions.

• What habitat will I be losing by planting this woodland?
• What trees are the correct species for my soil and region?
• How important is planting trees to me, would I consider a more natural approach?
• How many extra wildlife friendly features could I fit into my design?

Let’s have a look at these one by one.

Woodlands are essential part of a functioning British ecosystem. Not only do they provide food, shelter, and nesting habitat for many native species, but they also capture carbon, reduce flooding, and improve air quality. Despite all this, they are not always the best habitat for a specific site. There are many sites with habitat that is important and scarce, where planting woodland would be detrimental to nature. Heath, fen, wildflower meadows, coastal grazing marsh or areas where rare and specific wildlife breeds would better conserved or restored than planted as woodland. These priority habitats support their own group species, specific to habitat, so it is important these are not overlooked when considering where to put a new woodland.

Native wildlife likes native trees - the fauna and flora of the UK have evolved and coexisted alongside each other for millennia. They have behaviours and features which are entwined within each other’s life cycles; plant-pollinator, predator-prey, or host-parasite. Imagine an ecosystem as an arched bridge, where every species is a supporting stone, fitting each other, forcing the bridge to be stabilised in place and able to take the strain. The more stones removed or cracked the weaker the ecosystem. By planning new woodlands that are similar to our historic woodlands, rich in wildlife, this will give the best chance for the trees and associated wildlife to thrive.  

Identifying ancient trees in nearby woodlands and hedgerows to determine which species to plant will help mimic what would have been present in local woodlands historically.

To try a natural regeneration approach, deer fence the chosen area (close to existing woodland) and allow it to regenerate into its natural woodland composition. This can also reduce the need for plastic tree guards! Naturally regenerated woodland establishment is supported by grant-funding schemes – please get in touch with Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Farmland Wildlife Advice team if you would like any support on this.

Natural regeneration is the best approach for getting the right species in the right place and also provides important scrub habitat for many native species, including nightingale and hazel dormice in Suffolk. Surrounding trees will provide seeds, dispersed by wind, birds and mammals which can produce biodiverse and resilient woodlands. However, if you do want to plant trees over natural regeneration, sourcing stock from local nurseries, or collecting your own seeds from local trees is recommended.

Consider creating beneficial features to add light and habitat mosaic within your new woodland to encourage wildlife.

• Rides, glades, and scallops

Open space in woodlands provides sheltered, open, nectar rich, spaces for insects, and hunting ‘highways’ for bats and owls. Woodland rides are recommended between 5m – 10m, allowing light to reach the woodland floor for part of the day is also important for plant diversity. Rides can be varied in the woodland and incorporating different sizes, aspects (east-west is considered the best for wildlife), straight or curved - diversity is best. Glades should also vary in size and shape, some might contain a lone tree which can be attractive for bird or butterfly species.

• Scrub

Maintaining scrub by rotationally cutting woodland edges and throughout the woodland (often as coppice) provides dense thickets for nesting turtle doves and nightingales. Plant or allow native local scrub species to grow, such as hawthorn and blackthorn and don’t be afraid of a bramble thicket!

• Coppice compartments

Areas in rotational coppice management can provide ideal habitats for woodland butterflies and wildflowers. Either having blocks of coppiced trees with standards or including areas of hazel to coppice (large enough that when cut would let enough light for regrowth) is a simple way of including some coppice into a woodland. However, this should only be attempted in low deer pressure areas, with a deer management plan or fenced to exclude browsing.

• Deadwood

Throughout the woodland, plan for standing (naturally dead or ringbarked) and fallen trees can benefit a whole host of species including saproxylic beetles, woodpeckers, bats, and lichens. Don’t tidy up – nature will do this for you.

• Thick dark sections/non-intervention sections

Leaving some areas as zero management areas will benefit specific invertebrates and birds, such as white admiral butterflies. It can also naturally produce a good array of standing, semi-standing and fallen deadwood.

• Ponds

Providing water in the woodland also increases the habitat within a woodland and is great for species such as great crested newt and turtle doves. Ponds are a great addition to a glade, position with the south side opening onto the glade to maximise light.

• Fencing and high seats

In order to maximise the woodland potential, deer management is a must in high grazing pressure areas. As deer have no natural predators in the current ecosystem, the grazing of deer can greatly reduce the understory species within a woodland, reducing the woodland’s capacity for species who nest, feed or shelter in understory species.

To recap, to improve your woodland’s impact for nature it’s important to:

 1. Identify the habitat that is already present on your site; do not accidentally overlook an important habitat when establishing your woodland. Consult Magic maps or contact Suffolk Wildlife Trust for advice.

2. Consider the natural regeneration approach to further aid wildlife by creating a natural mosaic with locally sourced trees.

3. If you choose to plant, ensure species are local and native.

4. Consider if your design could be tweaked to include any more beneficial wildlife features. It is possible the hour or two it could take you to improve your design could have a big impact on the species your woodland will support for years to come.

If you would like further help and advice on designing a woodland, please get in touch. farm.advice@suffolkwildlife.org.

If you would like to come along to one of our upcoming woodland events, How to Create a Woodland for Free at Ager Fen on 23^rd May please see booking details below:

How to create a woodland for free Tickets, Tue 23 May 2023 at 10:00 | Eventbrite