CYNGOR CEFN GWLAD CYMRU COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES CORE MANAGEMENT PLAN (INCLUDING CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES) for WYE VALLEY WOODLANDS/COETIROEDD DYFFRYN GWY SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION Date: 14 April 2008 Approved by: David Mitchell More detailed maps of management units can be provided on request. A Welsh version of all or part of this document can be made available on request. CONTENTS Preface: Purpose of this document 1. Vision for the Site 2. Site Description 2.1 Area and Designations Covered by this Plan 2.2 Outline Description 2.3 Outline of Past and Current Management 2.4 Management Units 3. The Special Features 3.1 Confirmation of Special Features 3.2 Special Features and Management Units 4. Conservation Objectives Background to Conservation Objectives Conservation Objective for 4.1 Feature 1: Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines 4.2 Feature 2: Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests 4.3 Feature 3: Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles 4.4 Feature 4: Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros 4.5 Feature 5: Non-SAC semi natural broadleaved woodland 5. Assessment of Conservation Status and Management Requirements: for 5.1 Feature 1: Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines 5.2 Feature 2: Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests 5.3 Feature 3: Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles 5.4 Feature 4: Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros 5.5 Feature 5: Non-SAC semi natural broadleaved woodland 6. Action Plan: Summary 7. Glossary 2 PREFACE This document provides the main elements of CCW’s management plan for the site named. It sets out what needs to be achieved on the site, the results of monitoring and advice on the action required. This document is made available through CCW’s web site and may be revised in response to changing circumstances or new information. This is a technical document that supplements summary information on the web site. One of the key functions of this document is to provide CCW’s statement of the Conservation Objectives for the relevant Natura 2000 site. This is required to implement the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, as amended (Section 4). As a matter of Welsh Assembly Government Policy, the provisions of those regulations are also to be applied to Ramsar sites in Wales. 3 1. VISION FOR THE SITE This is a descriptive overview of what needs to be achieved for conservation on the site. It brings The Wye Valley Woodland SAC is a cross border site and comprises sixteen SSSIs. Nine of these together and summarises the Conservation Objectives (part 4) into a single, integrated statement about are situated in Wales. The woodland SSSIs are found along the River Wye’s meandering borders. the site. They provide a rich backdrop to the agriculturally improved farmland in the valley bottom. LivoxAll nine woodland SSSIs continuewill continue to be coveredto be coveredby at least by 90%at least semi-natural 90% semi-natural broadleaved broadleaved woodland. woodland.Woodland Thecommunities range of vary woodland across thecommunities nine SSSIs, withdependingin the onsite soil will conditions, be maintained, thus producing typically a dominatedmosaic of vegetationby oak. richThe inground wildlife. layer Those will partic contularlyain dominatingcanopy species are locally as seedlings native species and suchplant speciesas beech, typical ash, lime, of semi-natural yew and oak. broadleaf woodland such as bluebell, dogs mercury, yellow arcangel and wood anemone. All canopy species should be present within the field layer as seedlings and within the shrub layer Theas saplings.trees will The be groundlocally layernativ wille broadleaf contain plantspecies, species in the typical long of term semi-natural the canopy broadleaf will include woodland treessuch of as all bluebell, ages and yellow particular archangel attention and primrose. will be given to maintaining old veteran trees. Dead wood, standing and fallen, will be retained to provide habitat for invertebrates, fungi and In the long term the canopy will include trees of all ages and particular attention will be given to other woodland species. maintaining old veteran trees. Dead wood, standing and fallen, will be retained to provide habitat for invertebrates, fungi and other woodland species. 4 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE 2.1 Area and Designations Covered by this Plan Grid references: • Blackcliff-Wyndcliff: ST531979 • Cleddon Shoots Woodland: SO523041 • Fiddler’s Elbow: SO527140 • Graig Wood: SO533087 • Harper’s Grove – Lord’s Grove: SO528113 • Livox Wood: SO519112 • Lower Hael Wood: SO533075 • Pierce, Alcove and Piercefield Woods: ST530958 • Upper Wye Gorge: SO560155 Unitary authority: Monmouthshire Area (hectares): 916.24 ha Designations covered: Wye Valley Woodlands/Coetiroedd Dyffryn Gwy Special Area of Conservation is notified as sixteen component SSSIs, nine of which are in Wales: • Blackcliff-Wyndcliff • Cleddon Shoots Woodland • Fiddler’s Elbow • Graig Wood • Harper’s Grove – Lord’s Grove • Livox Wood • Lower Hael Wood • Pierce, Alcove and Piercefield Woods • Upper Wye Gorge Each component SSSI may have additional land or features that are not part of the SAC interest features. Refer to Section 3. Detailed maps of the designated sites are available through CCW’s web site: http://www.ccw.gov.uk/interactive-maps/protected-areas-map.aspx A summary map showing the coverage of this document can be found in Annex 1 2.2 Outline Description The Wye Valley Woodlands SAC is a large woodland SAC that straddles the Wales–England border. The site measures c.914ha. It is underpinned by 9 SSSIs in Wales and 7 in England, all of which lie entirely within the SAC. This report only considers the sites that occur within Wales. Note however that although the Upper Wye Gorge SSSI, (unit 19), is in Wales, it is managed by Natural England so will not be considered as part of this plan. This leaves 8 sites to be considered here. These eight SSSIs have been selected as having the best examples of Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines, Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests and Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles in the United Kingdom. In addition, lesser horseshoe bats Rhinolophus hipposideros use the woodlands 5 for foraging during the breeding period. In addition to the SAC habitats above, the woodlands also support non-SAC semi-natural broadleaved woodland. 2.3 Outline of Past and Current Management The majority of the Wye Valley Woodland SSSI’s broad-leaved woodland stands comprise regrowth or standards over derelict coppice dating from the Second World War. Some older stands occur in the more inaccessible areas, e.g. steep cliffs. Much of the yew Taxus baccata woodland is also pre-Second World War in origin. Current management varies across the SSSIs; many stands have changed to high forest due to the cessation of coppicing. On Forestry Commission owned land there is a programme of thinning and/or coppice management; the rest of the woodland is largely unmanaged. 2.4 Management Units The plan area has been divided into management units to enable practical communication about features, objectives, and management. This will also allow us to differentiate between the different designations where necessary. In this plan the management units have been based primarily on tenure, with reference to features and land management requirements. See management unit maps 1 – 6 . The following table confirms the relationships between the management units and the designations covered: Unit no. Unit name SAC SSSI NNR/ Other CCW Blackcliff-Wyndcliff 1 2 3 Cleddon Shoots Woodland 4 5 6 Fiddler’s Elbow 7 8 Graig Wood 9 10 Harper’s Grove – Lord’s Grove 11 12 13 14 Livox Wood 15 Lower Hael Wood 16 Pierce, Alcove and Piercefield Woods 17 18 6 3. THE SPECIAL FEATURES 3.1 Confirmation of Special Features Designated feature Relationships, nomenclature etc Conservation Objective no. in part 4 SAC features Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for Generally referred to as Tilio- 4.1 selection of this site Acerion, Asperulo-Fagetum and 1. Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, Taxus baccata woods in this plan. screes and ravines (EU Habitat Code: 9180) 4.2 2. Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests (EU Habitat Code: 9130) 3. Taxus baccata woods of the British 4.3 Isles (EU Habitat Code: 91JO) Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, 4.4 but not a primary reason for site selection 4. Rhinolophus hipposideros lesser horse shoe bat (EU Species Code:1303 ) SPA features Not applicable Ramsar features Not applicable SSSI features 5. Non SAC semi-natural broadleaved 4.5 woodland (EU habitat Code: 9160) 3.2 Special Features and Management Units This section sets out the relationship between the special features and each management unit. This is intended to provide a clear statement about what each unit should be managed for, taking into account the varied needs of the different special features. All special features are allocated to one of seven classes in each management unit. These classes are: Key Features KH - a ‘Key Habitat’ in the management unit, i.e. the habitat that is the main driver of management and focus of monitoring effort, perhaps because of the dependence of a key species (see KS below). There will usually only be one Key Habitat in a unit but there can be more, especially with large units. KS – a ‘Key Species’ in the management unit, often driving both the selection and management of a Key Habitat. Geo – an earth science feature that is the main driver of management and focus of monitoring effort in a unit. Other Features Sym - habitats, species and earth science features that are of importance in a unit but are not the main drivers of management or focus of monitoring. These features will benefit from management for the key feature(s) identified in the unit.