Ancient woodland

In the United Kingdom, ancient woodland is that which has existed continuously since 1600 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (or 1750 in Scotland).

Ancient woodland in the UK, like rainforest in the tropics, serves as a refuge for rare and endangered species.

Mapping of ancient woodland has been undertaken in different ways and at different times, resulting in a variable quality and availability of data across regions, although there are some efforts to standardise and update it.

Many of these woods also exhibit features characteristic of ancient woodland, including the presence of wildlife and structures of archaeological interest.

These woodlands typically exhibit a plantation structure, characterized by even-aged crops of one or two species planted for commercial purposes.

While PAWS sites may not possess the same high ecological value as ASNW, they often contain remnants of semi-natural species where shading has been less intense.

[9] More recent methodologies also supplement these field observations and ecological measurements with historical data from maps and local records, which were not fully assessed in the original Nature Conservancy Council surveys.

It also referred to areas such as parkland, open heathland, upland fells, and any other territory situated between or outside of manorial freehold.

These were afforded special protection against poachers and other interlopers, and subject to tolls and fines where trackways passed through them or when firewood was permitted to be collected or other licenses granted.

The bank may also support a living fence of hawthorn or blackthorn to prevent livestock or deer from entering the area.

Such indicators can still be observed in many ancient woodlands, and large forests are often subdivided into woods and coppices with banks and ditches as was the case in the past.

The boundaries are frequently described in terms of features such as large trees, streams or tracks, and even standing stones for example.

The remaining ancient semi-natural woodlands in Britain cover a mere 3,090 square kilometres (760,000 acres), representing less than 20% of the total wooded area.

More than eight out of ten ancient woodland sites in England and Wales are less than 200,000 square metres (49 acres) in area.