Management Units and their Use for Identification, Mapping and Management of Major Vegetation Types in Upland Conifer Forests

Abstract

Management Units were developed for Kielder Forest based on physiographic features and dominant vegetation types, for use by foresters in identification, mapping and management of plant communities in new and existing forests. The National Vegetation Classification was used to characterize the plant communities occurring in unplanted areas thus providing a framework for assessing changes caused by afforestation (notably effects of ploughing and draining and reduced grazing) and subsequent crop growth (increased shade, reduced soil moisture). To enable foresters to make similar comparisons elsewhere, a dichotomous key was devised to assist identification of NVC communities within upland forests. However, most plant communities in conifer crops with well-developed canopies are transitional between NVC communities and some of them appear stable and recognizable as conifer plantation communities. Forest Management Units provide a useful broad classification system above the National Vegetation Classification, offering a sound basis for the creation of vegetation conservation inventories at the regional, forest district or individual forest scales. Management Units can also aid the definition of broad conservation objectives and the drawing up of management prescriptions and could provide a basis for determining non-crop (amenity, recreation, wildlife) values of forests. They are not intended to provide information at a scale allowing specific plant communities to be mapped, nor to provide the more detailed prescriptions required for the conservation of such communities.