U Upper Wood between the glades and the middle path

Topography: Steep bank, slopes and level woodland

Aspect: A south and south-west facing slope shaded Lower pathby trees

General Description:
Mixed woodland and shrubs: beech, mature and sapling, and oak predominate in some areas, some individual species, large areas of bramble, some dead and damaged trees. Public and other paths, some wear from play & bikes. Some trees damaged by fires: other dead trees lying and standing. The 2013 landslide has taken away part of the middle path.

Features:
The southern edge of ancient embankment topped by hawthorns around the former ‘wood field’ is the upper boundary; with steep slopes down to the terraced ‘middle path’, the lower boundary.

Soil: Sandy

Grasses:
Wavy hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa)
Wood melick (Melica uniflora)
Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus)
Great wood-rush (Luzula sylvatica)

Ferns:
Broad buckler fern (Dryopteris dilatata)
Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)

Mosses: Present

Lichens: On the bark of some trees

Fungi: On dead trees

Trees and Shrubs
•Oak (Quercus robur)
•Beech (Fagus sylvactica)
•Silver birch (Betula pendula)
•Elm (Ulmus procera)
•Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
•Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
•Elder (Sambucus nigra)
•Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
•Yew (Taxus baccata)
•Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
•Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
•Ivy (Hedera helix)
•Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
•Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
•Turkey Oak ( Quercus cerris)
•Broom (Sarothamnus scoparius)
•Dog rose (Rosa canina)
•Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
•Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)

Plants
•Dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)
•Cleavers (Galium aparine)
•Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
•Wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia)
•Common violet (Viola riviniana)
•Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
•Herb bennet (Geum urbanum)
•Herb robert (Geranium robertianum)
•Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
•Hawkweed (Hieracium sp)
•Nipplewort (Lapsana communis)
•Pignut (Conopodium majus)
•Common Burdock (Artium pubens)
•Wild licorice (Astragalus glycyphyllos)

Invertibrates
•White lipped snail
•Small wood louse

Mammals
•Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
•Fox (Vulpa vulpa)

Birds
•Blackbird (Turdus merula)
•Long tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
•Tree creeper (Certhia familiaris)

How could the area be improved:
It continues to be eroded by motorbikes. Selective undergrowth clearance is needed and encouragement of woodland plants.

Update: Resurveyed on 7th June 2014 by Patsiri Piansabai and Thom Addinall-Biddulph.
Also present: meadowsweet, dandelion, stinging nettle.

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