Unit 1: Threatened UK Habitats - Broadleaf Woodland
- Created by: rosieevie
- Created on: 19-04-14 22:08
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- Threatened UK Habitats: Broadleaf Woodland
- Creation
- After the last Ice Age as the climate warmed surviving species moves south and colonised
- Key Features
- Mostly dominated by deciduous trees e.g. oak, beech
- Mix of tree species with varied age structure
- Results in a high biodiversity of other animals and plants
- Trees regulate water flow in catchment areas and reduce soil erosion
- Distribution
- Early Britain was covered completely in broadleaf woodland
- Humans reduced woodland areas by deforestation
- Early Britain was covered completely in broadleaf woodland
- Threats
- Population growth = increased demand for construction and fuel
- Less sustainable exploitation
- Clearance for farmland
- Conifer plantations meet the needs of humans but do not provide such a varied habitat
- Herbicides used and undergrowth cleared
- Population growth = increased demand for construction and fuel
- Conservation Measures
- Coppicing (cutting trees to 6ft) = good habitats for butterflies, insects and dormice
- Preserving mature trees = valuable for nesting and roosting birds
- Pollarding (cutting trees to ground level) = protects new growth from grazing
- Creation
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