During the autumn we will be undertaking essential habitat management work on the wooded heathland site at Wiggonholt Heath.
This site is part of the ‘Heathlands Reunited’ project which is a partnership of 11 like-minded organisations, led by the South Downs National Park Authority, working together to create bigger, better, joined up heathlands backed up by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. Heathland is a rare and special habitat which is home to some fantastic wildlife and it is one that requires regular management to help get it into tip top shape.
This autumn we’ll be working on the wooded heathland helping to create and maintain heathland habitat but also improve the management of the wooded areas to encourage our native broadleaved tree species and create a better diversity of ground flora.
Whilst the work is taking place there will be some disruption with some permissive paths closed whilst forestry work is being undertaken. Inevitably, with forest machinery in operation, the site will be rather churned up and there will be bare areas, stumps and brash. This can look rather brutal in the short term but are confident that longer term habitat improvements will result from the work and this will make the site better for wildlife and for nature-loving visitors.
We’ll be doing some further thinning of trees on various parts of the heath felling, on average, 1 in 3 trees in our target areas. This will take place on various parts of the heath including the Western Hemlocks & Corsican pine plantations and in areas of mixed woodland, mainly impacting the outer edges of the heath; alongside the public footpath and along the southern edge of the heath. The thinning of some of the ‘less interesting’ trees – the skinny birches and plantation pines - will allow more light to penetrate the canopy.
Where we have native broadleaved trees such as oak, sweet chestnut, beech and rowan we want to encourage a healthier woodland habitat through this management. Whilst we have some lovely mature oak trees, many of the other younger trees are struggling to find enough light and become tall but rather thin. By carefully selecting some trees for removal we’ll be giving the others the chance to grow properly and become our veteran trees of the future. The work will also encourage more of an understorey to develop – more bluebells and other wildflowers and woody shrubs and climbers such as honeysuckle.
With this summer’s hot and dry weather we’re becoming ever more conscious of the fire risk on site – heathland is a particularly vulnerable habitat when it comes to wildfires. Removing some of the conifers at the top of the slope, adjacent to the Visitor Centre and car park will create an important fire break.
Within the central part of the heath, work will continue to control the bracken and manage the re-growth of birch seedlings. This will help to maintain the areas of bare sandy ground that are essential for many of the special invertebrates that live on the heath and will also help the heather to continue to establish itself.
Information on access and path closures
Within Black Wood we’ll be removing some of the fast-growing sycamores. Hail’s View will remain open but the loop within Black Wood will be closed whilst work is underway.
Whilst work is being undertaken around the public rights of way, banksmen will be in place and no closures to the public footpath or public bridleway will be necessary. The pathway around the southern and eastern edges of the heath will be shut whilst work takes place. We may divert people through the central part of the heath during these closures. Signage will be in place.
Once the work is complete, our intention is to keep the central area of the heath closed throughout the year and keep this as a wildlife only conservation area. The results of breeding bird surveys this spring have suggested that closing the heath and reducing the disturbance to breeding birds has been beneficial with regular sightings of woodlark and tree pipit in the early part of the year and with two churring nightjars in late spring and summer. We also believe that both hobby and kestrel pairs bred on (or adjacent to) this area of heathland this year.
Forestry work will begin on Monday 5 November.