Just as the woodland blog has described the maidenhair tree as a ‘living fossil’, so the same phrase can be applied to the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).  All species belonging the genus Metasequoia were thought to have died out sometime during the Miocene Period. The Miocene began 23 million years ago and ended about five million years back.  The Miocene saw the evolution of the first dogs and bears, the uplifting of the Alps and significant climatic changes such as the MMCO - the mid miocene climate optimum.  During the MMCO, the temperatures were above today’s average global temperature, which lead to drier conditions across the world with a consequent decrease in woodlands and an increase in a more open landscape.  The Metasequoias were casualties of this changing environment; the Metasequoia forests, which extended as far as 80oN,  disappeared.  Indeed, all species were thought to have gone but then in 1941, a living member of the genus was found in China - the water fir (as it was known locally).   Read more...

Some 90% of the world's plants, including many food crops, rely on animals for pollination (as opposed to wind or even rarer water pollination). The contribution of honey bees and bumblebees to these pollination services is vital but they are at risk due to: the effects of disease,  climate change  effects of pesticides and  habitat loss / destruction. Whilst it is sometimes possible to help hives / colonies of the ‘domesticated’ honeybee suffering from parasites / disease, ‘helping’ wild populations is a much more difficult proposition. Read more...

The blog has reported on moorland fires and the importance of peat-based ecosystems on a number of occasions.  However, a new report has raised serious concerns about the state of peatlands, not just in the U.K but across Europe and Scandinavia.   Many ‘peatlands are in a dry and fragile state’, so that rather than acting as natural carbon sinks, they start to release carbon.   Peatlands actually store about five times more carbon than forests (across Europe). Read more...

The honey fungus (Armillaria mellea) is a plant pathogen, found across the world. It colonises and kills a variety of trees and woody plants, producing yellow-brown mushrooms that appear above ground.  These are the fruiting bodies of a much larger organism, that can spread over large distances underground.  The honey fungus can grow and spread by means of rhizomorphs.  These act as a system of underground structures that invade and decompose wood and roots.  They allow the fungus to infect, spread and survive for long periods of time.  Once the honey fungus is present in a garden, it can be managed but rarely eradicated. Read more...

Holly is not a ’typical’ tree in a number of ways.  For example, it is evergreen but not a conifer.  A holly tree is either male or female. Also, holly leaves have spines and a thick, protective and waxy cuticle.  The word ‘Holly” derives from the Old English “holen” or “holegn”.  Holly was also referred to as ‘holm’, ‘holme’, or ‘hollin’. These names for holly can be useful when examining old maps and ancient texts for references to the historical distribution of holly across the U.K.  It is certainly the case that in the past, the distribution of holly was more widespread; this was true for Needwood Forest in Staffordshire.  Needwood was a significant and ancient midlands forest but after the Enclosure Act of 1803, large numbers of trees were felled.  In his ‘Plant Book’, Professor David Mabberley notes that some 150,000 holly trees were taken from Needwood (about this time or shortly thereafter) to provide bobbins for the cotton mills of Lancashire.  (Bagot’s Wood is said to be the largest existing piece of this ancient woodland).   Read more...

Radiant energy from the sun falls on the Earth; some of this energy is absorbed by the planet and its atmosphere.  Some of the energy is radiated back into space.  The balance between the absorbed and radiated energy determines global temperature.  This balance is changed by a number of factors - the intensity of the solar energy, cloud reflectivity, the absorption of energy by various gases or surfaces. The reflectivity of the Earth’s surface  (the albedo) influences the amount of light energy that is reflected back into space. Snow has a high albedo, that is, it reflects much of the light back out into space.  Dark objects (like conifer plantations) reflect less light / radiation and absorb more thereby trapping heat that would otherwise be reflected back into space. The amount of energy that is ‘retained’ is also influenced by the presence of particular gases in the atmosphere - the so-called 'greenhouse gases', notably carbon dioxide and methane.  The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically from 280 ppm during the 10,000 years up to the mid-18th century to 415 ppm (as of 2019).  This increase has certainly contributed to the changes in climate that we have witnessed in recent years - extreme weather events such as heat waves and flooding.   Read more...

It should be pretty easy, one would think, to recognise the various species within the Russula genus, or brittlegills, the bright-coloured little mushrooms that have been popping up vigorously across the country over the past few months. Their vibrant cap colours render them immediately conspicuous among the Autumn leaf litter surrounding the bases of the trees with which they form mycorrhizal relationships. while their shared features make them relatively easy to situate within this wide grouping. All are particularly prone to crumbling and breaking under rough handling and all have white or slightly off-white stems, gills and flesh, often exposed beneath the holes left in their vivid cap cuticles by snacking woodland creatures. Read more...

This weekend all woodland lovers within reach should try to make time to visit Fish Pond Copse in the Cranleigh Showground (GU6 7DW) for what will be one of the year's best woodland events.  It's from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.  Despite possible rain (bring boots!) these events are a great way to meet fellow enthusiasts and learn more about British woodlands.  My colleague who came with me to the Wilderness Gathering a couple of months ago said, "We were drenched but it brought out the survivalist in me and I made some great contacts." There will be tree climbing, archery, fire-making and chainsaw demos.  For foodies like me,  there is apple pressing, outdoor cookery and a range of food tents.  The full programme can be accessed here : https://www.surreyhills.org/events/the-2019-surrey-hills-wood-fair/  Read more...