The Missing Link - re-routing a forestry track
During the summer, a re-routed forest track has been constructed at Fingle Woods, looping round a spruce and Douglas fir plantation near Clifford Bridge. This part of the wood is often referred to as Hall’s Cleave, and the track is one of the important bits of forest infrastructure, linking up Cod Wood in the east with the local road network and the rest of Fingle.The change in the route of the track was necessary as it is the only feasible way to extract softwood timber from Cod Wood. The road between Clifford Bridge and Mardon Down is in poor condition and is too narrow for large vehicles so, hauling timber through Hall’s Cleave to the public road on the other side is the only practical extraction route. Advice from hauliers and a forest road engineer suggested that the original track was not suitable; the combination of a narrow track, tight bends and steep inclines made it impractical. A more gradual curving route that maintains a more even gradient was proposed.
The engineering work required to re-route the track involved the removal and reinstatement of a quantity of woodland topsoil that holds many plant species of conservation interest. This layer of ground flora also supports a wide diversity of invertebrates, an important part of the woodland ecosystem. During the works, this soil and its floral diversity had to be preserved and a carefully planned approach has been followed, beginning with a series of ecological surveys to record the vegetation, the invertebrates, the breeding birds and protected species of mammals.The recommendations from each of these ecology reports were integrated into the management plan before the ground works began. These included:
- Leaving standing deadwood in situ to provide habitat for invertebrates and nesting sites for birds
- Retaining topsoil during earthworks to be replaced along wider rides sides to maintain diversity of woodland flora and habitats for invertebrates, mammals and birds
- A hand search for dormouse nests took place through a patch of bramble scrub prior to the works.
