Ervey Wood ASSI

Ervey Wood ASSI covers an area of 25.2ha. The valley along which the woodland is located is steep-sided on both the northern and southern slopes. The former exhibits a rocky scarp face to a height of approximately 10m. The valley bottom broadens out at several places along the river to form flat areas of various sizes. The Burntollet River descends from approximately 60m to less than 50m above sea level over 1.25km length of the site. Although not a very marked gradient, a small waterfall is located to the west of the site.
Beech and oak dominated woodland is located throughout Tamnymore Wood and in many parts of Ervey Wood. Mature beech is the main canopy species (approximately 20m in height) with lesser numbers of oak and birch, with ash and sycamore occasionally recorded.

The understorey is mainly comprised of regenerating young beech, oak and birch with occasional to frequent hazel, rowan, ash, holly and sycamore.The ability of beech to cast a very dark shade has caused the ground flora to be rather restricted in its diversity compared to areas under oak canopy. The principal species recorded were bluebell, wood anemone, wood sorrel and lesser celandine. Moss cover is not particularly high with Hylocomium splendens and Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus the main species.

Oak woodland with an acid understorey is confined to an area in the centre of Ervey Wood. The canopy layer composed of native oak reaches a height of approximately 20m. The understorey is comprised of rowan, birch, oak and holly, growing to a height of approximately 7m. saplings and seedlings of these species are present in generally good numbers, with young beech occasionally present. Epiphytic ferns and bryophytes are local and rare; honeysuckle and ivy local and occasional; and lichens widespread and occasional.

The ground layer comprises a high cover of bilberry and bracken, with lesser amounts of greater woodrush, cross-leaved heath, heather and honeysuckle. Mosses are widespread and include Isothecium myosuroides, R. triquetrus, H. splendens and Dicranum majus.

Site Related Documents

Site map (.PDF 545Kb), Citation document (.PDF 76Kb) and Views About Management Document (.PDF 67Kb)..