Bonny's Wood

Veteran trees are considered fundamental to the British landscape and have a great impact on the eco-systems where they are found. From woodland pasture to parks and gardens, veteran trees play an important role in the ecological cycling, bio-diversity and have historical importance.

The decision to actively manage a veteran tree can be in conflict with other interests and safety reasons, the managed trees should be treated as individuals and it should be noted that every tree is different (Natural England, 2008). It is generally seen that veteran trees should not be actively managed if possible, allowing for a tree to die graciously. This cannot always be the case and so retrenchment pruning, branch removal or land management is needed to increase the tree’s longevity or for safety reasons, all of which can have positive and negative effects on the eco-system.

Careful planning and an individual management plan should be in place before any operations work starts, by reducing the tree’s area its ability to make food is taken away. Cutting any tree can be detrimental to its health but younger trees are more dynamic; older trees often die after heavy or poor tree surgery operations. Some old pollards or even maiden trees are top heavy and active management may be needed to reduce the risk of tree failure, cutting in these circumstances can then prolong its life.

The affect of tree surgery operations on the ecology depends on the location. In woodlands unless the tree is near a target, the tree will be left, or brought back into pollard management. In this case techniques have been used only to take out a few stems at a time; this can have an effect on the woodland structure: more light can then reach the ground flora allowing dormant species the opportunity to start growing. Suppressed trees and shrubs can then take the opportunity and grow towards the light. By removing these branches, flight paths are opened up for flying invertebrates in the Lepidoptera order which can have a positive impact on the eco-system. But the removal can also have a negative impact by limiting the habitat, directly removing it from the canopy layer. Good management practices will leave the newly cut wood in and around the tree, also an ecological survey can be completed for nesting birds, bat roosts and door mice but this is not always the case.

The retention of deadwood on and around veteran trees is also fundamental to habitat creation and management (Natural England, 2011). Decaying wood produces humid, protected niches for invertebrates, plants and fungi which in turn help form the woodland soil and directly support other plant, bird and animal populations (Forestry Commission, 2008).