Woodland site types

There are several different ways of categorising native woodlands.

For the purpose of determining woodland grazing management needs, it is useful and simplest to define your woodland areas in terms of woodland site type. We recommend using the following five site types:

Wood pasture and parkland

Wood pastures and parklands are very open woodlands created by a management history deliberately aimed at keeping them open. They can consist of native and /or non-native tree species. Depending on species composition and density of tree cover, it may or may not be possible to classify them as one of the five native woodland site types. Read more information on wood pasture and parkland habitat types.

Other ways of defining native woodland 

Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitats

Plans that form the basis of a Scottish Rural Development Programme grant scheme will need to relate woodland site types to Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) woodland priority habitat types. The woodland classifications comparison table shows the relationship between woodland site types and BAP woodland habitats.

For detailed descriptions of BAP priority habitats and action plans for their conservation see UKBAP List of Priority Habitats and UK Biodiversity Action Plans.

National Vegetation Classification

You may have a National Vegetation Classification (NVC) map of your site. If so, it should be possible to convert NVC woodland communities to woodland site types and BAP woodland types by referring to the woodland classifications comparison table.

For more information on NVC and other woodland classifications, see the National Vegetation Classification field guide to woodland