BAP woodland priority habitats, woodland site types & NVC equivalents
| BAP priority habitat type | Woodland site type | NVC equivalent | Description | Associated open ground habitats | Other comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native pine woodlands | Acidic dry (with Scots pine) | W18 | Native pinewood, either Scots pine dominant or pine with variable amounts of birch, rowan and/or juniper | Dry heaths, juniper scrub Also wet heaths & Molinia grassland in western pinewoods | Stunted pine growing in bogs (bog woodland) is included in the Wet Woodland BAP priority habitat. Over time, mature Scots pine plantations may develop a plant community similar to that of native pine woodlands |
| Upland oakwood | Acidic dry (with no or very occasional Scots pine & frequent oak) | W17 | Oak woodland, with hazel, rowan and holly | Gorse scrub, wet heaths, mires, bracken, Molinia grassland, acid grassland | W17 communities occur on very acid soils. The field layer may contain heath species, large woodland mosses, bracken and/or grasses. Woodland on mildly acidic brown earth soils with a grassy field layer (W11) is included in the ‘neutral dry’ woodland type |
| Upland oakwood | Neutral dry | W11 | Oak woodland, with hazel and ash | Bracken, grassland | Atlantic hazelwoods may fit into this woodland type or into ‘dry basic’ woodland |
| Upland birchwoods | Acidic dry (birch dominant woodland with no or very occasional Scots pine or oak) | W17, if birch dominated | Birch woodland, with hazel, rowan and holly | Gorse scrub. wet heaths, mires, bracken, Molinia grassland, acid grassland | W17 communities occur on very acid soils. The field layer may contain grasses and/or bracken, less frequently heath species or large woodland mosses. Woodland on mildly acidic brown earth soils with a grassy field layer (W11) is included in the ‘neutral dry’ woodland type |
| Upland birchwoods | Neutral dry | W11 | Birch woodland with hazel | Bracken, grassland | Atlantic hazelwoods may fit into this woodland type or into ‘dry basic’ woodland |
| Upland birchwoods | Acidic wet | W4a and b | Birch woodland with willow | Mires, wet heaths, Molinia grassland, rush pasture | The wettest birch woodland in this woodland type, W4c, fits into the Wet Woodland BAP priority habitat Field layer communities vary but species typically include purple moor-grass, rushes and Sphagnum mosses. In the west, scrub willow may be the dominant tree type |
| Upland mixed ashwoods | Base-rich dry | W9 | Species-rich woods of oak, ash and hazel | Grassland | Herb-rich woodland, found on well-drained, base-rich soils but also as small areas associated with soils flushed with nutrients, e.g. ravines and rock outcrops. Atlantic hazelwoods may fit into this woodland type or into ‘Dry neutral’ woodland |
| Wet woodland | Acidic wet | W4c W18 |
Birch woodland with willow. Native pine woodland | Mires, wet heath, rush pasture | Mostly birch woodland in very wet, acidic soils, though stunted Scots pine bog woodland is also included here. Willow scrub may be the dominant tree type in the west. Woodland cover is often patchy. Field layer communities vary but species typically include Sphagnum mosses |
| Wet woodland | Neutral to base-rich wet | W7,(W1,W2,W3) | Wet alder or willow woodland | Mires, fens, swamps, rush pasture | A woodland of flushed soils, mostly herb-rich. Alder is often the main tree species in W7, though locally birch, willows, ash or hazel may dominate. W1, W2, W3 are very wet willow woodlands |
| Lowland mixed deciduous woodland | Acidic dry | W16 | Lowland or upland fringe oak or birch woodland on very acid soils | Mires, heath, bracken |
Occasionally the Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland BAP priority habitat is represented by this woodland community The field layer is generally species-poor and heathy |
| Lowland mixed deciduous woodland | Neutral dry | W10 | Lowland oak and/or birch woodland with hazel | Grassland, arable fields,bracken, bramble scrub | A woodland of neutral to mildly acidic soils Bramble, bracken and buckler ferns may be abundant; bramble may be rank if grazing is light |
| Lowland mixed deciduous woodland | Base-rich dry | W8 | Lowland ash and hazel woodland with hawthorn and elder | Grassland, arable fields, bramble scrub | Generally herb rich. Wild garlic or dog’s mercury may be abundant Light or no grazing may result in a rank bramble understorey |
| Wood pasture and parkland | Any | Any | An open woodland, usually with mature or ancient trees | n/a | Wood pasture and parkland is a product of historic land management It can be represented in any woodland site type including upland site types |