2

We're in the fortunate position where we've moved to a house which came with an adjoining acre of woodland; a mix of oak, sycamore, hawthorn, elder, and lots more that I'm too inexperienced to identify.

We'd like to get some advice on how best to manage this land; i.e. what trees to cut back to let light in in order to better enable others to grow / that sort of thing, as various people have advised that (e.g.) sycamore is sometimes seen as invasive / damaging to other parts of the habitat.

Several people have suggested "getting a survey done", where you can pay an expert to study your land and advise on how to best improve it as for habitat best suited to your local wildlife; but so far we've not found any such surveys; only studies to advise on risks for insurance/mortgages/etc.

Does anyone know of the name of this type of survey so we can more easily search for it, or of organisations who perform this sort of work?

Additional info: We're based in Norfolk in the UK.

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    I think you need some objectives , at least to a degree; things like deer browse, seeds for birds. nuts for squirrels, etc. Other wise it seems like an open ended expense that will produce little objective information ; other than something like ' remove invasive species". That being said, I did identify and map most trees for my less than quarter acre ; amazing how many trees there are in a forest if you try to count them. My excuse is that it is a hobby.
    – blacksmith37
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 15:53
  • 1
    Sycamore in the UK is one of those tricky species that it is introduced in the UK, but its native range is relatively nearby in much of Western Europe, and it has been in the UK for hundreds of years. It's a little like Black locust or Osage orange in the eastern US, with perhaps a longer history. You really would need an expert on your particular habitat to advise whether that is one to keep or remove. But it wouldn't be at the top of my list for invasive species in your region, i.e. very different from, say, Japanese knotweed or any of the trees or weedy plants from North America.
    – cazort
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 17:26

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
0

This is called an Arboricultural Survey; lots of firms offer them. One firm near me includes, under the arboricultural services, so some of this wording may help you search for a consultant near you:

Woodland Management Planning:
Our Woodland Management Plans are tailored to a variety of visions and objectives for woodland areas, including commercial use, safe recreation and ecological enhancement. Detailed management and maintenance schedules enable the structured, and successful, implementation of the plan.

Woodland Surveys Constraints and Opportunities
Assessment Woodland
Management Vision and Objectives
Detailed Management Schedules

Improve this answer
1
  • That is what I meant : you need to select "visions and objectives".
    – blacksmith37
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 18:20
1

You could try contacting the Forestry Commission to see what advice,if any, they have to offer regarding the management of your woodland. Otherwise, there are Surveyors who will survey it and manage it for you, such as these people https://townsendcharteredsurveyors.co.uk/farm-estate-management/forestry-woodland/

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.