What are recent woods?
What do we call woods if they are not ancient?
Often they are referred to as ‘recent’ woods, even if they have been around for two or three hundred years.
These woods may have been planted, or they may have appeared naturally (ie they are semi-natural), for example on abandoned farmland, or on heaths and other habitats where traditional management practices have ceased.
They may be quite mature woods, if they have been around for some time, or they could be ‘new’ woods, planted within the last two or three decades. The Woodland Trust has planted a good deal of new native woodland in that time.
Recent woods may be composed mainly of native species, like the birchwoods that are seen on some heathlands, or they may be mainly composed of non-native trees, such as commercial conifer plantations.
What are secondary woods?
Sometimes you may hear people talking about ‘secondary’ woods, meaning woods which are not ancient, but this is not strictly correct. Primary woodland is that which has survived continuously since the last Ice Age, and by contrast, secondary woods are those which have appeared, through planting or natural seeding, on land which has been used for other purposes at some time in that period. However, these woods may still be ancient. For example, there are ancient woods in England which harbour remains of Roman settlements, showing they must be secondary. Yet some of these woods could be more than 1000 years old!
Why are recent woods important?
Although not ancient, new or secondary woods are still important. They still give lots of wildlife a home and are important to people and culture in all sorts of ways.