Woodland Development : A Long-term Study of Lady Park Wood (eBook)

"This is a well written and illustrated book that will be invaluable to those interested in long term studies of natural forests in the temperate zone and to those that should have ambitions to establish similar areas in the tropics and sub-tropics." - Jeff Wright, DPhil, Society of American Foresters, March 2018

This book documents changes in tree composition and floral and faunal components and characters. It is well illustrated with images, graphs, and drawings and shows what can happen over 7 decades if natural processes are left to work freely. Changes in the forest were triggered by competition, herbivory, pathogens, storms, and other natural disturbances. The book demonstrates clearly and helps understanding of why, how, and to what extent a natural woodland differs from a managed forest. The essential message is clear for woodland conservation: "The single trees may die, but the forest lives forever," if we allow it to do so. The book also has helpful content, from a forestry practice perspective, on how to enhance species richness and structural diversity in forest stands and how to approach continuous-cover forestry in practice. These things are essential tools for decreasing biotic and abiotic risks related to climate change. This is why this is an important and useful work for foresters, ecologists, and conservationists.

The whole work is lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, several of which feature groups of students or members of professional bodies being taught, which is an added dimension to the importance of conserving such sites. George Peterken is undoubtedly the most experienced and respected native woodland ecologist in the UK today, and along with Edward Mountford in the last three chapters (pp. 239-262) they consider natural woodland in theory and practice, provide first an overview of the concept of natural woodland then "near-to-nature" forestry, and finally a discussion of the topical matter of rewilding, remoteness and wilderness that include much to consider and debate. The authors are very aware that this is just one site, and that even within it development could have progressed in different ways. Anyone responsible for the long-term management of deciduous woodland should make sure they see this study, which is surely destined to become regarded as a classic in woodland ecology, not just to see wha t was found out here, but how to record the responses of trees over time. Biodiversity and Conservation, December 2018