APPENDIX 6   - TREE PLANTING PROPOSALS

Propsed Tree planting at Hillside

Introduction
The planting plan for Hillside will be considered within the wider context of Factory Wood. Wildlife networks linking permanent habitats together forms a framework for the plantin plan. Future changes to adjoining stands may affect the restoration site.

Aim
1. Restoration of landscape
2. Generate a native woodland containing native woodland species
3. Active management to create structural diversity 
4. Enhance site bidioversity by means of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) 

Trees and shrubs 
Due to the tipping on the application site, establishment cannot be achieved by natural regeneration. An appropriate target for the first stage of restoration would be to establish locally native tree species, ecologically suited to the restoration site. Climax species such as oak and beech can be considered in conjunction with pioneer species in the planning of a structurally varied woodland  at Hillside. The aim is to provide a range of niches for wildlife - song birds prefer a well-developed shrub layer. In many cases, the precise species composition is less important than the physical structure. It may be appropriate to set broad targets and artificially create structural diversity by felling small areas or thinning as necessary during hte management of the emerging woodland.
The creation of a varied ground flora will assist in achieving the objective of increasing site biodiversity. The Factory Woods SINC describes the ground flora as being poor and confined largely to hedera helix due to the heavy canopy and shade.

Planting Matrix

Area A 
Climax species

Species/
Commmon	Species/
Latin	Size	Centres	Comment		
Sessile Oak	Quercus petraea	Half standard	7m	Quercus petraea, also known as the sessile oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe. It is a long-lived deciduous tree that can grow up to 40m tall with a trunk that is 3m in girth3. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland and an unofficial emblem in Wales and Cornwall1.  The sessile oak prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils but is adaptable to poorer, drier soils.

The Sessile Oak is also known as the Durmast Oak, a name that is possibly related to the feeding of pigs on acorn and beechnuts, known as ‘mast’. In Britain it is more common than the English Oak in upland areas in the North and West and is often found in woodlands on well-drained hillsides. The Sessile Oak gets its name from the fact that its acorns have no stalk, a feature that is known as ‘sessile’.		

Area A
Pioneer species

Species/
Commmon	Species/
Latin	Size	Centres	Comment	
Silver Birch	Betula pendula	Whips	3m	•	Quickest/easiest plants to establish
•	No staking required
•	Produces a secure, Supportive root system
•	Takes several years to form a branching 'head'
•	Quantum - 25%	
White willow	Salix alba	Whips	3m	•	Growing at a rate of 40 centimetres per year, white willows are famously fast growing species so can work well as a ‘nurse tree’. 

•	White willow produces catkins in April which can be an invaluable early source of food for pollinators- especially for early emerging species in cold, wet springs. The species is also an important source of food for caterpillars which in turn will attract birds.

•	Quantum - 25%	
Black poplar 	Populus nigra betulifolia	Whips	3m	•	The species works well as a pioneer tree as it grows rapidly. This will assist reduce pollutants in the soil.

•	The tree is of value to a variety of wildlife. Black poplars are linked to many rare butterfly species including the extirpated large tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros).  Many species are associated with poplars in general, including the poplar hawk moth (Laothoe populi) and a variety of birds who feed on the seeds and resident caterpillars. Poplars are known to harbour quite an impressive number of birds, including rarer species .

•	Quantum: 25%
	
Alder	Alnus glutinosa	Whips	3m	•	It rarely grows to more than 20 metres (but may reach 30M).  It grows quickly and is short lived, with a life span of some 60 years. It is a typical pioneer species and can colonise bare ground. Alder has the ability to ‘fix nitrogen’ because of its association with the bacterium Frankia alni.  The bacteria are present in nodules on the roots, they convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia and other nitrogen compounds which the tree can use.  Consequently, alder can grow in nutrient-poor soils where few other trees thrive.

•	Quantum: 25%