The Forest of Leeds |
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 Trees and Woodlands | Woodland Heritage | Tree Species in the British Isles | Woodland Grant Schemes | Trees and the Law | Woodland Crafts | Pests and Diseases |
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 Gledhow Valley Woodland |
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Maintaining Our Woodland Heritage in Leeds
The total area of woodland in Leeds was estimated in 1994 at approximately 2650 hectares of a total land area of 552 square kilometres. This equates to 4.7% of the total land area and is considerably below the national average, which currently stands at 11%. Within the Leeds administrative area, 53% of woodland is composed of a mixture of broadleaves and conifers; 42% is mixed broadleaves and 5% is pure conifer. Some 1130 hectares of Leeds' woodlands are in public ownership and are managed and maintained by Leeds City Council through the Forest of Leeds initiative. The remaining woodlands are privately owned, much of this belonging to large estates such as Harewood, Bramham Park and Ledston. It is perhaps worth baring in mind that, during prehistoric times, most of the Leeds area, in common with the rest of the country, would have been wooded. Centuries of woodland clearance for cultivation has meant that the majority of the surviving woodland is confined to steep landscapes, the large parkland estates and along river valleys. Geology and soil type have a naturally huge influence on woodland types (see National Vegetation Classification). Although this is still easily detectable in parts of Leeds, overall it has been lessened by man's intervention. The majority of woodlands have undergone management at some time in their history and many have originated from planted stock. Of the 2650 hectares of woodland in Leeds only 300 hectares is unplanted woodland (Leeds Nature Conservation Strategy, 1991). With an even-aged canopy and tending to be dominated by one or two species, these planted woodlands often occur in regular blocks or discrete stands with walled or fenced boundaries. The majority of these plantations are in private ownership, for example, on the parkland estates to the east of the district. Some coniferous plantations do occur, but they are relatively small in extent. › Back to Contents Ancient Semi-natural Woodland (ASNW) English Nature's "Provisional Inventory of Ancient Woodland in West Yorkshire" indicates that the total area of ASNW in Leeds is a little less than 540 hectares, which is equivalent to about 20% of the total woodland cover. Nationally, ASNW accounts for only about 1.5% of woodland cover. Notable local examples of ASNW are Middleton Woods (at over 80 hectares, it is the largest ASNW in Leeds and one of the biggest in West Yorkshire); Highroyds Wood; Parlington Hollins and Calverley Woods (these two are private woods). ASNW is considered by English Nature to be of the "highest value for nature conservation". This is because the plant and animal communities that make up the woodland ecosystem, have evolved in close harmony with one another over many hundreds of years to create some of the richest natural habitats in Britain. In addition, ASNWs provide attractive landscapes and links with our cultural heritage. Indeed, many such woods in Leeds contain important archaeological remains, such as boundary banks and other ancient monuments. Many areas of former ASNW have had their indigenous species replaced by plantations of broadleaf, mixed or coniferous species. Spontaneous regeneration of the indigenous species has subsequently taken place in many of these woodlands. Good examples include Castle Hills and Coburnhill Woods in the south7ndash;east of the district. In landscape terms these plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) maintain the continuity of tree cover which might otherwise have been lost. › Back to Contents Woodland Management The Leeds Nature Conservation Strategy (1991) stated that "the long-term survival of many Leeds woods is threatened by neglect which has resulted from the decline in woodland management". At this time, there was widespread concern that the health and bio–diversity of many Leeds woodlands was threatened with neglect, due to the decline in woodland management during the 20th century. This neglect had resulted in even-aged stands of trees which lacked the age and structural diversity that is so important to wildlife. Many woodlands consisted of closely spaced trees with tightly packed canopies, which created dark woodland floors. In woods such as these, natural regeneration was virtually non-existent. Since the launch of the Forest of Leeds initiative in 1993, an increasing amount of woodland has been brought back into management. A range of silvicultural techniques are used, such as thinning, coppicing and, where appropriate, the introduction of the group selection system of management, involving the felling of small, specified areas of woodland to increase light levels reaching the woodland floor and to facilitate natural regeneration from the seed of surrounding mature trees. This is usually accompanied by under-planting using appropriate tree species. The aim, throughout, is to produce well-structured woodlands consisting of a variety of trees of all ages. In addition, of course, many hectares of new woodland have been planted and are receiving thorough establishment management. On average, between three and five hectares of new woodland have been created each year since 1993. › Back to Contents The Sequence of Woodland Management Starting with the creation of a new woodland, the sequence of woodland management prcoesses are summarised below :
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