Because we cut so much wood over the 2010/11 winter, we're not doing any significant coppicing this year, as we need to burn or sell the pile we still have. Instead, we're taking the opportunity to get some maintenance jobs done. Here's a a few pics...
First, on the footpath that borders the wood that my friend Alex owns, we found this coppice stool had blown over in October:
This was quite a quick one to clear up - it was too far from the path to be bothered trying to extract the logs, we we just cut it up and left them there:
Also in Alex's wood, when he visited in late October, we went along the road edge and cut back a section of coppice there. This makes it easier for traffic to pass along there, and reduces the risk of trees falling in the road in future:
We got a trailer load of logs out of this bit of work, and left all the brash to form a dead hedge.
Not long after this, it became apparent that autumn was truly upon us, with just the oaks holding on to some leaves:
But last week, most of the remaining leaves came down when there was a frost. As this happened when there was no wind, the leaves lay in a thick carpet for a day or so:
Another job I got on with was rebuilding our supercharged fire pit, as the bricks had started collapsing in a bit. When I dug it out, I was interested to see that some of the clay in the ground had been baked by the heat of repeated fires, and was beginning to look like brick. In the photo below you can see normal clay to the left, and baked clay to the right:
While rebuilding, I've made two changes. First, I raised the air inlet a bit - in its original position it kept filling with ash, and second, I dug out a trench and buried a layer of bricks, which I hope will make this version more stable:
Then I laid another layer on top, and pushed some soil up against them:
The wall of bricks is lower now than before, which should let more heat out of the fire, and there are some spare bricks to put on top for cooking.
Just a few days ago, I got back to clearing up some more windblow, and this time my friend Andrew was visiting, along with Dougal, his Jack Russell terrier:
We tackled this area near the entrance, which blew over a few years ago:
Because the wood had been dead for a while, we left most of it piled up to rot for bugs to live in. Standing dead wood is useful for this too, but in this case it was pushing live trees over, so I felt it was best taken down.
It's left a new clearing, so it'll be interesting to see what grows there next summer:
While we got on with this, Dougal supervised from a nearby coppice stool:
We did one other bit of clearing up. Our solitary Alder Buckthorn, which fell over in snow in Feb 2012, has been held by a rope over the summer:
This was so it could do its summer of growing, but now that's done, we've pollarded it a short height above the ground, and settled its roots back in, so it will hopefully regrow strongly next year:
Finally, we recently had Tom Ottley, an expert in bryophytes (moss), visit the wood. He was looking at areas like this:
He looked around both our woodland and the other nearby plots, and gave us the list below of what he found growing there. He also disturbed a wild boar! I guess compared to us he was going around a lot more quietly on his own... His summary was:
A very good total for a visit of only a few hours. There is a very wide range of habitats which makes that possible. The main part of wood is coppice and the most interesting habitats there are the old stumps (coppice stools), the ditches and various small banks, some of which are clearly very old. However, the best area is the wayleave for the high-voltage power lines which has a rutted track running along it. The edges of the ruts and various damp areas along the route are all species rich and benefit from being kept open. There is a good quantity of Sphagnum in boggy areas.Here's the list of bryophytes, with comments on location and rarity:
Epiphytic bryophytes are very scarce in the wood. The reasons for this are unclear but may be down to a lack of optimum tree species (ash, elder, field maple) in well-lit situations. However most species likely to occur can be found in small quantity.
English Name | Scientific Name | Location and Frequency | Occurrence in Sussex |
Common Smoothcap | Atrichum undulatum | On soil, abundant, fruiting | Usually very common in woodland. |
Silky Forklet-moss | Dicranella heteromalla | On soil, abundant, fruiting | A very common moss. Not often fruiting as freely as here. |
Common Feather-moss | Kindbergia praelonga | On soil, abundant | Almost always abundant in woodland. |
Redshank | Ceratodon purpureus | On path | Common on paths and in gardens etc. |
Swan's-neck Thyme-moss | Mnium hornum | On stumps, abundant | Usually very common in woodland. |
Swartz's Feather-moss | Oxyrrhynchium hians | By small stream | A typical habitat. Generally quite common. |
Common Cord-moss | Funaria hygrometrica | On bonfire site, fruiting | The common moss on old bonfire sites. |
Common Pocket-moss | Fissidens taxifolius var. taxifolius | On banks, common | Usually common, as here. |
Overleaf Pellia | Pellia epiphylla | In ditches, very common | Always very common on neutral to acidic soils in wet places. |
Pointed Spear-moss | Calliergonella cuspidata | On stream bank, common | Usually common by streams or in damp grassland. |
Rough-stalked Feather-moss | Brachythecium rutabulum | On banks, common, fruiting | One of the commonest of all mosses. |
Common Frillwort | Fossombronia pusilla | On side of drainage ditch, fruiting | Much less common in Sussex than a related liverwort, F. wondraczekii. |
Lesser Pocket-moss | Fissidens bryoides | On side of drainage ditch, fruiting | A common moss. |
Glaucous Crystalwort | Riccia glauca | On side of drainage ditch | Not really a woodland species, preferring arable fields, but occasionally turns up where disturbed. |
Elegant Silk-moss | Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans | On banks, abundant | Always common in woods on neutral to acidic soils. |
Nodding Thread-moss | Pohlia nutans | On bank of ditch | Frequent in woods, more commonly on heathland. |
Hart's-tongue Thyme-moss | Plagiomnium undulatum | On stream banks, frequent | Very common in wet places in woods. |
Large White-moss | Leucobryum glaucum | On stumps, abundant | Common in woodland, preferring slightly drier habitats. |
Common Striated Feather-moss | Eurhynchium striatum | On banks, infrequent | An indicator of old woodland, generally fairly common. |
Two-horned Pincerwort | Cephalozia bicuspidata | On paths and banks, abundant | Usually very common in woodland. |
Notched Pouchwort | Calypogeia arguta | On ditch banks, frequent, with clusters of gemmae | An early colonist of ditch banks. Usually spreads by means of gemmae. |
Common Pouchwort | Calypogeia fissa | On bank by path | Frequent on banks in woodland. |
Slender Mouse-tail Moss | Isothecium myosuroides | On base of ash | On the base of oak and ash especially. |
Larger Mouse-tail Moss | Isothecium alopecuroides | On base of ash | Much less common than the preceding species and usually found on ash. |
Fox-tail Feather-moss | Thamnobryum alopecurum | On base of ash | Frequent in woodland generally. |
Cape Thread-moss | Orthodontium lineare | On stumps, frequent, fruiting | Originally introduced from South Africa, now widespread but not often troublesome. |
Cypress-leaved Plait-moss | Hypnum cupressiforme | On stumps, abundant | Always abundant in woods. |
Variable-leaved Crestwort | Lophocolea heterophylla | On stumps, occasional | Common on stumps, roots etc. |
Bruch's Pincushion | Ulota bruchii | On Quercus, uncommon, fruiting | One of several, usually common epiphytes that are very scarce in Mill Wood. They prefer willow or elder in well-lit situations. |
Smaller White-moss | Leucobryum juniperoideum | On a bank | Much less common than Leucobryum glaucum but in most of the woods in this part of East Sussex. |
Supine Plait-moss | Hypnum resupinatum | Epiphyte, common | Always very common. Prefers smooth-barked trees. |
Mamillate Plait-moss | Hypnum andoi | Epiphyte, common, fruiting | Usually common. |
Mueller's Pouchwort | Calypogeia muelleriana | On a bank by a path | Common on banks, mainly in acid woodland. |
Broom Fork-moss | Dicranum scoparium | On stumps, common | Usually very common in woodland. |
White Earwort | Diplophyllum albicans | On an old bank | Only found on old banks, a good indicator species. |
Waved Silk-moss | Plagiothecium undulatum | On an old bank | Tends to be restricted to older woodland and a very attractive species. |
Bank Haircap | Polytrichastrum formosum | On banks, common | Usually common in woodland. |
Pellucid Four-tooth Moss | Tetraphis pellucida | On stumps, frequent | Common on stumps generally, particularly coppice stools. |
Rusty Swan-neck Moss | Campylopus flexuosus | On stumps, frequent | A species often found on tree stumps. |
Heath Star Moss | Campylopus introflexus | On stumps in clearings, common | Originally introduced but now abundant on heathland and on stumps in woodland. |
Common Tamarisk-moss | Thuidium tamariscinum | On soil, frequent | Usually common, prefers damp soils. |
Neat Feather-moss | Pseudoscleropodium purum | In clearing | A plant of open grassland. |
Springy Turf-moss | Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus | In clearing | Another grassland species. |
Cow-horn Bog-moss | Sphagnum denticulatum | In boggy area under pylons | Often found in small bogs in woodland. A related species, S. fallax usually occurs too but not found here yet. |
Blunt-leaved Bog-moss | Sphagnum palustre | In boggy area under pylons | Another plant of bogs, including those in woodland. |
Bifid Crestwort | Lophocolea bidentata | On ruts at edge of track | Common on banks in woodland. |
Smallest Pottia | Microbryum davallianum | On ruts at edge of track, fruiting | Not often found but extremely small. |
Lesser Bird's-claw Beard-moss | Barbula convoluta | On track, abundant | Usually abundant on paths. |
Bird's-claw Beard-moss | Barbula unguiculata | On track, frequent | A very common species. |
Crimson-tuber Thread-moss | Bryum rubens | On track, with rhizoidal tubers | Frequent throughout Sussex, preferring sandy soils. |
Cylindric Beard-moss | Didymodon insulanus | On track, abundant | Abundant by paths and on tarmac. |
Dusky Beard-moss | Didymodon luridus | On gravel track, frequent | Frequent on paving and sometimes gravel. |
Tall-clustered Thread-moss | Bryum pallescens | On soil under pylon | Very few records for East Sussex. This moss has a strong preference for polluted soils (heavy metals). In this case it thrives on the zinc from the galvanised steel pylon structure. |
Heath Plait-moss | Hypnum jutlandicum | On heathy bank by track | A common heathland plant. |
Bicoloured Bryum | Bryum dichotomum | On track, with bulbils | Common on soil throughout Sussex. |
Delicate Earth-moss | Pseudephemerum nitidum | On track, fruiting | Frequent on bare soil in woodland, usually seen in the autumn when it has distinctive small capsules. |
Juniper Haircap | Polytrichum juniperinum | On track | A common heathland species. |
Bristly Haircap | Polytrichum piliferum | On track | Decidedly less common than the preceding species. |
Acid Frillwort | Fossombronia wondraczekii | On ruts at edge of track, fruiting | The commonest member of this genus of liverwort. |
Crenulated Flapwort | Jungermannia gracillima | On ruts at edge of track | Common on sandy soils on heathland. |
Common Pottia | Tortula truncata | On ruts at edge of track, fruiting | Always very common. |
Red-stemmed Feather-moss | Pleurozium schreberi | On heathy bank | A very typical heathland species. |
Creeping Feather-moss | Amblystegium serpens var. serpens | On bank at edge of track | Very small but usually quite common. |
Great Plait-moss | Hypnum lacunosum | On bank at edge of track | A heathland species. |
Great Hairy Screw-moss | Syntrichia ruralis | On gravel at edge of track | Often found on roofs. |
Fallacious Beard-moss | Didymodon fallax | On gravel at edge of track | Requires a neutral to basic soil. Often very common. |
Silver-moss | Bryum argenteum | On track | Common on paths and on paving. |
Bud-headed Groove-moss | Aulacomnium androgynum | On stump, with gemmae | Possibly declining, at one time very common on stumps. |
Cylindric Ditrichum | Trichodon cylindricus | On stream bank | Frequent, often by streams. |
Kneiff's Feather-moss | Leptodictyum riparium | On stream bank fruiting | Frequent by streams and ponds. |
River Feather-moss | Brachythecium rivulare | On stream bank | Typically found on stream banks. |
Dilated Scalewort | Frullania dilatata | On Salix in carr | Often common, but not here. |
Wood Bristle-moss | Orthotrichum affine | On Salix in carr, fruiting | Usually a very common epiphyte but very little in Mill Wood. |
Lyell's Bristle-moss | Orthotrichum lyellii | On Salix in carr, with gemmae | A frequent epiphyte. |
Forked Veilwort | Metzgeria furcata | On Salix in carr | A common epiphyte. Unusually scarce in Mill wood. |
Mike
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