Data of the small survey we’ve been doing of one of the more open areas of the Kelly Wood, looking at sapling survival rates over the last 4 years. The objective was to see if the oaks were germinating at all or were getting munched.
Interestingly it’s showing that although there is a fair amount of variation year to year, the oaks are germinating well but never get the chance to grow to any height. By contrast the beech saplings seem to survive much better, and the holly trees are very robust.
In the light of our later visit with Angus, that overall the wood does have oaks of different ages ( see notes on Angus’s visit). Obviously, the statement that the oaks are not re-generating is true of our small transect, but not necessarily true of the whole woodland. Angus didn’t seem too worried about it and that has changed our view a little.
