BROADLEAF PLANTATION WOODLAND

Broadleaf plantation woodland: stands of broadleaf trees with regular planting distances and uniform age structure. The most common dominant species are ash, sycamore, beech and oak. Conifers can comprise up to 10% of the canopy.

Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
   
Broadleaf plantation woodland: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Broadleaf plantation woodland covers 0.4% (4,872 ha) of NI (Table below). The lowlands contain most of the habitat and have a greater percentage cover (0.5%) compared with the uplands (0.1%). This habitat occurs mainly in the Wider Countryside (0.4%) and the Antrim Coast & Glens AONB (0.4%).
Broadleaf plantation woodland: predicted distribution map (1998).
Broadleaf plantation woodland: net change 1991 - 1998.
The main net change was an increased cover in the Wider Countryside of 56% (1,416 ha).
Broadleaf plantation woodland: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Broadleaf plantation woodland: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Broadleaf plantation woodland gains are largely from planting new areas of woodland on agricultural grassland, for example, Perennial ryegrass. Habitats in the losses and gains table below are linked to their descriptors and NI data. Full details of all losses and gains are given in the technical report.
 
Losses
(1991 - 98)
Habitats Gains
(1991 - 98)
ha  % ha  %
219 6       Broadleaf seminatural woodland 3 <1  
44 1       Scrub - dense 6 <1  
87 2       Scrub - scattered 5 <1  
69 2       Mixed plantation woodland 37 <1  
4 <1       Coniferous plantation 51 <1  
42 1       Tall herb/ruderal 23 <1  
1 <1       Gorse heath - scattered 56 1  
6 <1       Poor fen 68 <1  
5 <1       Perennial ryegrass 1083 <1 *
6 <1       Mixed species grassland 234 <1  
75 2       Other agricultural grassland 455 <1  
150 4       Buildings/curtilage nc    
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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