Trees outside woodland

What we need to do and where

Snapshot for trees outside woodland

What wildlife-rich looks like:

Healthy native trees of all ages across Devon. Lots of dead and decaying wood. The tree, dead and decaying wood all support a wealth of wildlife including insects, bats, birds, lichens and fungi.

Focus Species:

To be added

UK significance:

UK priority habitat:

Statutory irreplaceable habitat: Ancient and veteran trees

1. About

Not all trees grow in woodlands. Individual trees, lines of trees and small copses are scattered across Devon’s rural and urban landscapes. These trees outside woodland provide important wildlife habitat (shelter, nesting sites and food) for lots of insects, birds, bats, lichens and mosses, including rare species. They also provide stepping stones for wildlife and lines of trees create flight lines for bats to follow.
 
Forest Research calls these trees and copses Trees Outside Woodlands. Their mapping shows that in Devon they cover nearly 40,000 hectares, making up almost one third of the county’s total tree cover. The lowest cover is in the uplands of Dartmoor and Exmoor, while some of the highest canopy cover is in Plymouth. The Trees outside woodlands map is on the LNRS Viewer under Other useful layers > Woody habitats.
 
In the countryside trees outside woodland include a very wide range of native and non-native species such as sycamore, horse chestnut and sweet chestnut. In Devon’s villages, towns and cities native trees grow among a wide range of exotic and ornamental species. For example, there are over 54 recorded tree species in Plymouth.
 
Trees outside woodland also have huge social and economic benefits. In towns and villages they provide shade, absorb pollutants and reduce noise. Trees help create beautiful places to live, provide a sense of tranquillity and daily contact with nature. They also provide significant benefits on farms and as a result agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees into agricultural landscapes, is growing.
 
Trees capture and store carbon, produce oxygen, reduce pollution, reduce flooding, improve our soils, support wildlife and much more. They are essential to life across Devon.
 
The LNRS has separate pages for Ancient and veteran trees, Traditional orchards, Wood pasture and parkland and Hedge corridors.

Health check

To add following Consultation to ensure the latest data is used.

Area and distribution

Forest Research data shows that the total area of Trees Outside Woods in Devon is 39,114 ha .  (RK unsure as to whether we can use this figure – why?) 

Condition

Little is known about the health of Devon’s Trees Outside Woodlands. 

Key pressures and opportunities

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Multiple benefits of trees (carbon, water quality, pollution etc)

Given the huge value of trees there is currently huge momentum nationally and in Devon to increase tree cover, including trees outside woodlands. This is largely driven by climate change but also by an increased awareness and appreciation of trees.  Community groups, local authorities and other organisations across Devon are looking for opportunities to increase tree cover and to ensure that any trees that do need to be felled are replaced. This provides a huge opportunity to increase tree cover.  It is important that trees are not planted where this will harm other wildlife-rich habitats or species – see Where to focus action.

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Development and other infrastructure projects

There are huge opportunities to improve the inclusion of trees (alongside other wildlife habitats) in the design of new developments and infrastructure projects. This must be done to maximise multiple benefits (reducing noise and air pollution, flood control, shade, contact with nature etc). 

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Agroforestry

There are demonstrable financial and environmental benefits from having more trees and woods on farms. In fields and hedges they assist with land stabilisation, water retention, shade and shelter. When planted in more structured patterns in grazed land (known as silvopasture) or arable land (known as silvoarable) fruit and timber trees can be an integral part of the productive farming process delivering financial benefits alongside nature recovery.

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Future urban trees

In urban areas many of the largest trees date back to the Victorian era (where space for large species such as plane, chestnut and oak was easier to find).  Young trees are needed to ensure continuity.   

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Tree management / timing

Many trees outside woodlands, especially in towns and villages, are subject to some sort of management.   Reasons include safety, visibility, nuisance, damage and subsidence.    When done well management can enhance the health, longevity and appearance of the tree.  However it can often be done badly and this can exacerbate safety and nuisance issues and shorten the life of the tree. Widespread adoption of high quality tree care will assist nature recovery and be cost effective.

Tree management must be undertaken at the right time of year – both for the tree and to minimise impacts on wildlife (including meeting legislative requirements) e.g. avoiding disturbance to nesting birds and roosting bats.

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Species choice

Native trees and other wildlife have evolved together and retaining, replacing and increasing native trees must be a priority. However there are opportunities to grow a wide range of non-native and ornamental species that support wildlife and to reflect climate change. In urban areas a wide range of tree species can deliver cooling, pollution control and water flow reduction. In farmed landscapes tree species can be selected for their fruiting, fodder and shade potential. 

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Funding

There is funding available from DEFRA, the Forestry Commission and organisations such as the Woodland Trust to support the planting of trees outside woodlands.

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Better (healthy and wildlife rich) and more trees outside woodlands across Devon in rural and urban areas.

See Find out more below for any relevant national and local targets.

Actions for trees outside woodland

For links to detailed guidance and funding see Find out more.

Manage trees to maximise their wildlife value by following best practice guidance.

Headline actions include:

  • Leave standing and fallen deadwood (including small branches) and collapsed trees and branches (other than where it is a clear safety issue and there are no alternatives).  Pile up dead wood and fallen branches rather than chip or burn.
  • Protect the root zone through sensitive agricultural management (stocking rates, ploughing, vehicles etc) and during infrastructure projects. Consider brash piling (especially fallen dead wood) and bramble zones as a deterrent to compaction and to increase habitat. 
  • Time works to avoid impacts on wildlife, particularly during breeding and hibernation periods.

Increase tree cover across Devon in urban and rural areas. 

  • Follow best practice guidance regards species selection, spacing, aftercare etc.

Consultation question:  Other actions needed here?  Discuss with Woodland Trust / Devon Tree Officers Group etc.

Increase agroforestry across Devon    

  • Create new agroforestry schemes based on best practice through the development of an Agroforestry Plan.
  • Promote agroforestry demonstration sites, case studies and peer to peer sharing networks.

Other relevant actions

Follow the links below to the relevant Focus Species pages as well as to relevant habitat and wider theme pages:

Where to focus action

Trees cover should be expanded across Devon other than in sensitive areas (see below).

Wildlife will benefit from these actions being implemented across Devon.  However actions are prioritised to the following High Opportunity Areas (in bold). See Mapping for the LNRS Viewer and information on how areas have been mapped.

  • Watercourse corridors
  • Woody habitat buffer/expansion zones  
  • Natural Flood Management
  • Water quality
  • Community access to nature

Tree planting and natural regeneration should be avoided in the following High Opportunity Areas:

  • Dartmoor valley mires
  • Dartmoor rare bird nesting areas
  • Dartmoor and Exmoor whinchat zones
  • Teign Gorge rock spiders, Plymouth spiders zones
  • Potential estuarine high tide roosts (see wintering estuary birds layer)
  • Coastal intertidal habitats

Advice should be obtained before carrying out tree planting in the following High Opportunity Areas to ensure that it adds to, rather than harms, wildlife.

  • Wildlife-rich grasslands
  • Lowland mires and heaths
  • Purple moor-grass and rush pasture 

See Mapping

Important:

  • Always check that actions won’t conflict with statutory requirements (e.g. statutory wildlife sites such as SSSIs or scheduled monuments) or harm existing wildlife habitats, the historic environment or landscapes.  See the Environmental Considerations page for more information.
  • In line with Government policy (Keepers of Time, 2022) all Ancient and Veteran trees (including their root zones) should be considered as statutory Irreplaceable habitats and as High Opportunity Areas in this LNRS regardless of whether they are on the national Ancient Woodland Inventory (used for the LNRS) or the LNRS Map.

3. Inspiration

To be written through Consultation

Case studies

Agroforestry

In Devon the Innovative Farmers network has established a Silvopasture Network trial across seven farms.  This trial, supported by FWAG, Rothamsted Research Centre and the Woodland Trust is looking at how tree planting and farming can be integrated to mutual benefit.

Urban trees………?

Where to visit

Trees Outside Woods are literally everywhere – so just look around!   

Always follow the Countryside Code and stick to footpaths and sites that are managed for public access. 

Agroforestry examples –  Dartington Estate?   and by arrangement with the North Devon Silvopasture network. Devon silvopasture network

4. Find out more

Add more links and tidy up through Consultation

Add links to the Devon Tree and Woodland Strategy – discuss with the woodland group

Trees outside woodlands

Forest Research has just published a national map and report for Trees Outside Woodlands

Agroforestry

Devon silvopasture network

Information on agroforestry funding options are available from Forestry Commission Guidance

The  Woodland Trust has information on agroforestry and funding.

The Soil Association Handbook is an excellent background to the subject

Agroforestry has significant government interest and funding available. The starting point is Defra Agroforestry Guidance

Agroforestry Plans can be supported through the Agroforestry Plan Support Payment and the Agroforestry Plan Templates. Payments include Tree Payments , Fruit Tree Payments and Species diversity payment

Targets

To confirm and finalise list

Nature Rich.  

Manage Trees outside Woodlands for nature recovery

More, Larger and better connected

Long Term.  Expanded as part of 16.5% woodland cover by 2050

Short term.  Part of 3,000 ha’s of new woodland by 2030

Short Term. Priority to delivery new Agroforestry schemes

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