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The poles cut from coppice wood are used for many different purposes ranging from firewood to fence panels, depending on the species and the age at which the poles are cut. Without a continuous coppice canopy the animal is severely restricted in its ability to move about the wood and as such as a protected species.Ĭoppiced woodland traditionally provided two main crops - poles cut from the underwood and timber obtained from the standard trees. Coppiced woodland in the south and west of England is one of the most important habitats of the Common Dormouse in Britain. Numbers then decrease, but remain fairly stable until the next cutting. Once again, when coppice has been cut there is an increase in these mammals and a third year after cutting a coppice woodland can support double the density of small mammals than at any other stage of coppice growth. Small mammals such as wood mice, shrews and bank voles are also strongly influenced by coppice cycle. Under the shade of mature coppice the ground layer is normally very sparse. The increase in shading at this stage rapidly eliminates the vegetation beneath the canopy and until the next cutting very few changes take place other than continued growth of the coppice stools. The coppice in the first 3 - 4 years is still very open, allowing species such as birch and bramble to establish themselves, the result is usually an almost impenetrable tangle of low foliage which will normally persist until the leaf canopy closes at around 5 - 8 years after being cut. Seeds which have lain dormant, sometimes for many years, germinate in response to this additional light. In midsummer, the woodland floor is flooded with light and this triggers a rapid change in its appearance. In the first summer after cutting, the woodland floor usually has a fairly sparse covering of vegetation, however by the second year the ground vegetation is very prominent with spring flowers and other plants. How does wildlife respond to the coppice cycle?Įvery time a coppice cycle is initiated, a sequence of changes is set in motion and develops in the following way. Hazel is usually cut every 7 - 10 years, sweet chestnut usually at about 15 years (except where it is cut as young as 3 years to make walking sticks) and slower-growing species such as Hornbeam are cut every 25 - 35 years. The interval between cuts (the rotation length) depends on the species and the intended product. The regrowth from the cut stools can be remarkably fast and it is quite normal for many species to reach two metres after their first year. Within a single wood, coppicing usually gives rise to an irregular patchwork of woodland with trees (ranging in size from a half to three hectares) at different stages of growth. In an actively coppiced wood, an area of the underwood is cut each winter between October and March, before the sap starts to rise in response to the onset of spring. Standard trees are usually oak but ash is also common. Occasionally woods consist purely of underwood and these are termed 'simple coppice'. Traditionally, coppice was grown as a wood containing coppiced trees (underwood) and scattered timber trees (standards). Today Sweet Chestnut has largely taken over from Hornbeam as it is more economically viable as a crop because it grows more quickly and therefore can be cut more regularly ie at shorter intervals. Although most native hardwood trees in Britain such as oak, ash, willow and birch will coppice freely, those coppiced in the High Weald are Hornbeam, Hazel and Sweet Chestnut. It is a highly sustainable method of producing rapidly growing useful wood without the need to replant. The word coppice is derived from the French 'couper', meaning to cut. Many species that depend upon this valuable habitat have suffered as a result.Ĭoppice is woodland where the trees are cut periodically, and are left to regrow from the cut stumps, known as stools often producing multiple stems. In the past coppice has been an important renewable source of wood but as timber extraction has become more industrialized and competition from sources abroad has grown, coppice woodland has become less economic to manage and has been left to become derelict or has been replaced by conifer woodland. Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.