![]() ![]() Protection from deer browsing is needed as it’s especially detrimental to coppice since it’s within the deer browse level for most of its growing cycle.Have sufficiently sized coupes to limit edge shading from the surrounding taller coupes/high forest.Retain veteran and future veteran trees, or good future timber trees. Reduce the large tree canopy to allow adequate light to the coppiced stools.Woodlands where open wooded habitat is wanted, for example to benefit wildlife, could be suitable for coppicing and it could help to offset your costs.Ĭoppice stools require a high amount of light to allow for sufficient regrowth.If you have trees or shrubs adjacent to rides and open space within the woodland, then coppice could be incorporated into ride management to allow more light into the ride, which then encourages biodiversity.It’s never too late to restore a coppice, even after decades of neglect. Look for old multi-stemmed trees (especially oak, sweet chestnut or lime), or woodlands with a large amount of hazel understorey underneath larger trees such as oak. If your woodland is a historical coppice site, it may still be suitable for coppicing.The coppicing checklist Confirm if your woodland is suitable for coppicing ![]() The coppice regrowth provides a continuous crop for harvesting without the need to replant.Ĭoppicing also provides products to a range of traditional crafts including hedge layers, thatchers and basket makers. Economic benefitsĬoppicing provides a regular crop of products on a relatively short rotation when compared to conventional timber, for example 10 years vs 60 years. A laid hedge using coppiced stakes (uprights) and binders (the woven top horizontals). This is particularly useful for light demanding ground plants.Īs the site is coppiced repeatedly there is a permanence of the open and semi-open wooded habitats, this allows for low mobility species such as high brown fritillary butterflies to colonise and flourish on the site. It also provides several micro habitats (open, semi-open and closed canopy) which benefit a wide range of species in a small geographical area. Ecological benefitsĬoppicing emulates the natural formation of semi-open glades and creates a permanent early successional habitat, which includes a mix of light demanding annuals, grasses and shrubs. Why Coppice?Ĭoppicing can provide a variety of ecological and economic benefits. Note it being cut relatively close to the ground with a sloped cut to reduce the accumulation of water. For example, a hazel coppice on an eight-year rotation could be separated into eight equally sized coups to provide a steady production of hedging stakes. Several coupes can then be combined within a woodland to form a coppice. Stools coppiced in the same year in the same area can be grouped together to form a coupe. Photo credit Chris Cowell of Coppice Products. Coppiced hazel stools showing vigorous multi-stemmed regrowth. This can be done with most British hardwoods, with hazel, willow, sweet chestnut and oak being good species. These shoots grow rapidly and produce a crop consisting of many stems which are typically ready for harvesting after 7-20 years, depending on the desired product. What is coppicing?Ĭoppicing is the process of cutting a tree close to the ground in the autumn and winter to encourage the production of shoots from the base of the tree, this forms what is known as a stool. In this post he explains the fundamentals of coppicing, a woodland management practice dating back to the Stone Age, and the opportunities for its use within our native woodlands. Tom Pattinson is a Woodland Officer for the Forestry Commission based in the North West and West Midlands Area. ![]()
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