Coppicing & Woodland Work
Coppicing. What’s all that about then?
Coppicing takes advantage of the magical phenomenon whereby a tree is felled and new shoots grow from the cut stump. This can be carried out for hundreds of years, prolonging the life of the original tree, providing an annual supply of round wood to be used for many products.
The system is cyclical and therefore incredibly sustainable.
All broadleaf trees will Coppice.
Most common species used for coppicing include Hazel, Chestnut, Oak, Ash, Alder and Birch.
Coppicing dates back many thousands of years.
Evidence of Coppice material used for wooden trackways over boggy ground has been carbon dated to the Neolithic period, some 5000 yrs ago.
These days,however, when we talk about coppicing we focus more on the processes and products which relate to the last 200yrs or so.
Coppicing is usually worked on regular cycles. Hazel is cut every six or seven years, Birch eight to sixteen, Oak and Ash about every twenty five.
These cycles relate directly to the end use of cut material.
Coppice products are wide ranging, and adaptable. Often associated with local crafts and industries. They ebb and flow. Moving with the requirements of the time and limited only by the imagination.
Some examples of products:
To the present
The Coppice industry saw a decline shortly after the Second World War. Advances in technology and new materials quickly replaced the need for Coppice products.
This left many traditionally Coppiced woods unmanaged. Leading to what is referred to as “derelict” coppice. Left uncut and off cycle, a coppice quickly becomes unviable. The wood becomes too large in diameter for its originally intended use. Shaded out the wood grows badly. Bent and misshapen. The trees known as “stools” begin to out compete each other leading to low stocking density per acre.
With modern materials such as plastic taking the place of Coppiced wood the majority of worked Coppice were simply abandoned in a very short space of time.
At this time one of the only uses for these areas was by farmers. Releasing sheep and cattle into the coppices in the autumn to overwinter. This led to further damage as any new shoots or regeneration was simply grazed.
A truck load of bundled spars ready to be sold to thatchers and two bundles of prepared gads waiting to be cut into spars
It was not until around the 1980’s that things started to improve. An interest in reviving the associated crafts and an awareness of the benefits that coppicing has for wildlife saw an increasing interest in Coppicing as a woodland management technique.
It can take many years to restore a derelict Coppice. Regular cyclical cutting, propagation methods such as layering and new planting. Protection from deer, squirrels and grazing animals. A genuine need for cutting is paramount. The old adage “a wood that pays is a wood that stays” is of course true, however the cyclical, low impact nature of coppicing which increases biodiversity has really captured the hearts of those interested in the health of our planet. Without this as an incentive it is doubtful that the coppice revival would have taken place.
It is testament to human ingenuity that for thousands of years we have used this natural phenomenon to our advantage. An interaction that can not only provide a livelihood but improve and increase biodiversity. It is a rare thing indeed to find a process where a resource can be removed whilst simultaneously benefiting our wildlife and ecosystems.