Crookham Common (east & south of Old Thornford Road)

Introduction

Compartment 6 lies at the southeastern end of the old airfield, its perimeter delimited by Old Thornford Road to the north west and west, Thornford Road to the east and south, and Crookham Hill/Brimpton Road at its northeast corner. A reasonably sized compartment (22.5 ha), it is criss-crossed by a number of informal paths and tracks. The compartment as a whole lies on the edge of the plateau as it starts to shelve away to the south. It is typified by large areas of secondary, mainly birch woodland and scrub interspersed with areas of remnant and restored heathland together with an alder gully and birch and oak woodland. The surrounding roads to some extent separate this compartment from the main area of the commons, and it is not currently (2010) withing the stock fence.

General Description and Evaluation of Ecology

Compartment 6 contains a variety of habitats. Subcompartment 6A, which covers the bulk of the area, includes some quite sizable areas of restored heathland bordered by secondary woodland and scrub. There are some fine mature specimens of oak and birch, notably on the common boundary to the south and parcels of mature oak coppice elsewhere. A small wet flush with willow and sphagnum, dense stands of gorse and small areas of both neutral and acid grassland provide a variety of botanical interest and habitat elsewhere. A number of the wider paths and tracks create excellent conditions for butterflies and a warm sheltered microclimate for other invertebrates, for which there are many nectar sources available (sp?). Notable vascular plants present include wild daffodil, an ancient woodland indicator, on the far west of the compartment and common spotted orchid on the area of rabbit-grazed neutral grassland in the north east corner. Typical bird species here include Dartford warbler, nightjar, chiffchaff, woodlark and blackcap. There is good potential for improving this compartment to benefit typical heathland species whilst not detrimentally affecting those birds that rely on fairly dense thickets of scrub, small trees and mature woodland. This would also benefit several of the reptile species present on this site, notably adder, common lizard and slow worm. nightingale

Sub-compartment 6B is known as Thornford Gully. As the name suggests this is an alder gully, fairly typical of others on the commons. It is characterised by mature alder coppice with a rich ground flora and a number of different sphagnum species present, with an area of willow occupying the head of the valley. Moving up the valley sides to the east and west the composition changes to oak and birch. A complex system of flushes and pools lead into a small stream which becomes incised as it works its way down to the River Enborne to the south. Notable vascular plants present include Solomon's seal (an ancient woodland indicator species). Lower plants are well represented, with a number of different sphagnum species and several mosses and liverworts (species present?)

BAP habitats

• Lowland Heathland (6A)
• Wet Woodland (6B)

Higher Level Stewardship

Options exist for subcompartment 6A.

• H01 (maintenance of lowland heathland)

Overall management objectives

In partnership with BBOWT, the Common here will undergo approximately 13 ha of tree clearance (25% of woodland maintained within this) as part of a Living Landscape Heathland Restoration Project (BBOWT 2010). There will be some large-scale clearance of birch scrub and young birch woodland to extend both existing and relict areas of heath. The compartment will retain a wooded perimeter although some open areas will be created to link to adjacent habitats on the main common. Small thickets and single trees across the newly cleared areas will be left to provide key woodland edge habitats favouring a variety of species. Woodland edges will be scalloped and encouraged to provide thick scrub edges between the heathland and woodland. Where large mature and veteran trees exist they will be retained. Gorse scrub will largely be retained but managed by coppicing to provide a varied age structure. Thickets of bramble will be retained where possible to provide habitat for reptiles, small mammals and birds. There will be some limited control of bracken, particularly following tree clearance but key areas will be retained where they benefit reptiles in particular.

Inside and along the path edges of the remaining woodlands, small glades will be created to diversify the structure of the woodland.

The coppice cycle for besom broom making will be retained in one designated area of the compartment although some neglected areas will be restored to heathland.

The Higher Level Stewardship for the small area of heath will incorporate the management of the whole compartment with a Farm Environment Plan to be submitted in 2010/11. Subsequent plans for grazing by Exmoor ponies and cattle will be introduced to Sub-compartment 6A in particular to effect a more varied age structure within the heathland component and to control scrub regeneration following clearance.

The areas of wet woodland, almost exclusively alder, and the existing structure of the woodland, typified by tall mature individuals with a ground layer rich in bryophytes, will be maintained. Wet species-rich flushes will be safeguarded, if necessary removing some scrub where there is evidence that these are drying out. The drier woodland on the upper slopes and higher ground will be retained favouring oak over birch where this is akin to wood pasture. Other individual trees including rowan and veteran birch specimens will be retained.

Water quality, particularly in the Holly Farm area, will be monitored where possible.

Subcompartment 6A (18.6 ha)

This includes areas of restored heathland, pockets of remnant heath and bracken. Secondary woodland and thick birch scrub, succeeding to woodland, fringes these areas. There are fragments of mature oak coppice elsewhere. There is a small wet flush with willow and sphagnum, some dense stands of gorse and small areas of both neutral and acid grassland.

Objective	Area	Method	Comment
1) Maintain existing heathland. HLS objective H01 (maintenance of lowland heathland)	Extant areas of heath both restored and relict throughout subcompartment 6A.	Mow heath in small strips over a 25 year rotation. (Up to 5% of heath area each year, preferably in short, thin, sinuous shapes. Collect and remove cuttings and deposit on site in suitable woodland edge. Create small scrapes (1% of heath) for bare ground/gravel and pioneer heather regeneration each year. Control bracken, willow, birch, gorse scrub and brambles by mowing or cutting, using chemicals if required. Where Bracken has dominated, the litter can be scraped to encourage new heather growth and bare ground. Remove birch and treat stumps. Maintain small clumps of birch and single mature trees in open heath for cover and perches. Also, maintain a thick boundary of scrub where heath meets the woodland and cut small sections of this each year	Screen main paths from open heath. Incorporate management of additional heathland after restoration project is complete by entering into HLS. .
2) Extend area of heathland by 13 ha by 2014 Living Landscape Project between BBOWT and WBC for the restoration of heathland in this subcompartment. .	13 ha of subcompartment.	Fell selected areas of birch secondary woodland and scrub. Treat stumps or extract with machinery, scrape down to mineral soil where leaf litter and humus layer persists using a digger bucket/grading bar. Scallop edges and create bays to encourage spread of heather, create warm glades for invertebrates and reptiles and increase the length of the woodland/heathland boundary .	See document Living Landscape Heathland Restoration Project (BBOWT 2010). A full consultation will occur through 2010 prior to works.
3) Create a more diverse, structured woodland by 2014.	Whole wooded area around perimeter of subcompartment.	Clear small glades (0.1 to 0.25 ha) by felling birch. Stack logs. Burn or stack brash where suitable and leave to regenerate. Leave standing deadwood where safe. Retain fallen deadwood in situ except where it blocks marked paths. Generally favour regenerating native species other than birch, protect oak and rowan saplings where necessary by dead hedging. In the small wet gully in the southeast corner, favour willow over birch. Create log piles for reptiles, invertebrates etc.
4) Maintain wide rides.	All paths and tracks.	Cut back encroaching gorse and bramble from paths annually to provide a minimum of 2 m clearance on lesser paths, and track width (3 m plus) elsewhere.	Benefits for visitors, and wide rides are good for butterflies and reptiles in particular. Will link in with bays/scalloped edges.
5) Identify veteran oaks and birches.	Throughout subcompartment, but particularly along southern boundary of common.	Tag, record and seek advice from Tree Officer on management.	Veteran Tree survey planned during life of this plan. Old pollards are very important to retain and manage appropriately. Pollarding prolongs the life of trees and provides an array of cracks and fissures and rot holes to be exploited by invertebrates, birds, bats, fungi and bryophytes. Old pollards and veterans critically often provide a large volume of dead wood in the form of snags and dead limbs.
6) Protect and, where possible, improve woodbank.	Southern boundary of compartment.	Refer to Historic Environment Management Plan (BAS 2009/10) and Heritage section of Management Plan for further guidance. Seek advice from WBC Archaeology team.
7) Continue birch coppice cycle for besom brooms in selected area of subcompartment.	Northeast corner of subcompartment.	Coppice annually as per besom broom-makers' current rotation.	Liaise with besom broom craftsmen.
8) Control bracken on existing and restored heath to prevent dominance, permit bracken in the woodland edges.	Heathland areas throughout subcompartment.	Treat bracken. Follow up with removing bracken litter in following year. Cut bracken to reduce its vigour at woodland edges if relict heathland flora exists beneath. Spray bracken where it occurs more than 25 m from woodland edges. Scrape selected areas following treatment of bracken (autumn/winter) and push up into banks. Retain a proportion (figure?) of bracken in key areas to benefit reptiles in particular. .	Refer to reptile survey (D'Ayala 2009). Benefits for reptiles, mammals and invertebrates.
9) Control scrub on acid and neutral grassland.	Northern and western edges of subcompartment.	Mow these areas annually at the end of the growing season Cut back encroaching scrub to within 5 metres of woodland edge. Repeat this process biennially. .	Rabbit grazing in this area appears largely beneficial, keeping a very tight botanically varied sward.
10) Introduce grazing to this subcompartment by 2014.	Throughout subcompartment.	Following initial consultation, submit Secretary of State application for consent to fence for conservation grazing to Defra by 2010/11 for grazing to commence from 2013. Extensive grazing by traditional breed cattle (probably British whites/crosses) and Exmoor ponies.	Graze for a trial period to establish numbers of animals and whether grazing should be seasonal or year-round. Livestock available from grazed parts of common.

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subcompartment 6B (n.n ha)

This is a wet gully with alder in the valley bottom grading to oak and then birch further up the valleys sides.

Objective	Area	Method	Comment
1) Maintain wet woodland as high forest with minimal intervention.	Alder woodland on valley floor and lower slopes.	Non-intervention in the bulk of the woodland to allow it to move towards ‘high forest’. Retain any standing and fallen dead wood as habitat for invertebrates, fungi, bryophytes and vascular plants. Monitor flora in wet flushes. .	Ensure any management is sympathetic to requirements of bryophytes (Refer to Nature Bureau (2009) survey: Bryophytes and lichens on Greenham and Crookham Commons (T Haynes 2009).
2) Retain and enhance oak woodland as hign forest with minimum intervention.	Upper slopes of gully - east, west and north.	Encourage oak regeneration when gaps occur in the canopy naturally - locate any oak seedlings and saplings and dead hedge to protect from browsing and grazing. Limit birch regeneration by clearing 10% of birch scrub in this part of the subcompartment annually. Do not treat stumps. .	comment.
3) Stop inappropriate use of woodland and encroachment.	All of subcompartment.	Investigate and seek legal advice if necessary. Remove machinery and debris. Seek advice from Environment Agency on clear-up. .	Possible remains of an oil spill.
4) Protect woodbank.	Southern boundary of compartment.	Refer to Historic Environment Management Plan (BAS 2009/10) and Heritage section of Management Plan for further guidance. Seek advice from WBC Archaeology team. .	comment.
5) Introduce grazing to this sub-compartment by 2014.	Throughout subcompartment.	Following initial consultation, Submit Secretary of State application for consent to fence for conservation grazing to Defra by 2010/11 for grazing to commence from 2013 Extensive grazing by traditional breed cattle (probably British Whites/crosses) and Exmoor ponies. Consider protecting sensitive valley bottom by temporary fencing or dead hedging.	Graze for a trial period to establish numbers of animals and timing. Livestock available from grazed parts of common. Some evidence exists (Hedderson 1999) of potential for damage to sphagnum communities in alder gullies. .