Duchess Wood is made up of 3 types of woodland community:

These woodland communities are important for supporting a large variety of animal and plant species

and are protected under the European Union Habitat Directive.  There are many native species in Duchess

Wood, but also non-native species.

 

Native species to Scotland, and Duchess Wood, include species that have been in Scotland since after the last ice age, more than

10,000 years ago! 

 

Examples of native and non-native species are shown below.

 

 

Non-Native Trees 

Oak

Ash

Birch

Rowan

Alder

Elm

Scots Pine 

Sycamore

Beech 

 

Wild Hyacinth (bluebell)

Primrose

Wood anemone

 

A full list of plants found in Duchess Wood

is currently under construction                                

Rhodadendron

Japanese Knotweed

 

Roe Deer

Grey Squirrel

Bat

Thrush 

An aim for the management of Duchess Wood is to return the wood to a native wood by reducing the number of non-native tree and plant species, including sycamore, beech, rhodadendron and Japanese Knotweed, and increase the number of native tree and plant species, such as Oak and Ash.

 

Increasing the number of native, Scottish tree and plant species should encourage the growth of existing animal, bird, insect and fungi populations and attract new species to the area.  This will increase the biodiversity of Duchess Wood.

 

For example, Oak trees provide habitats for more organisms, especially insects than any other type of tree.

 

Non-native species:

Sycamore trees have a thick canopy that lets very little light to the ground below (see photo).  This reduces the biodiversity of plants and animals around sycamore trees. These trees also spread fast.

 

Rhodadendron is a fast growing, dense shrub that spreads quickly and covers the ground with a dark shade.  This stops any natural regeneration and acidifies the soil as its leaves break down.

 

Japanese Knotweed spreads quickly forming a dense growth of shrubs that exclude native species and are of little value for wildlife.  

 

These photographs show that light penetrates poorly through the canopy of sycamore trees and that very little gornws around these trees.