Ancient woodland' is a term widely used in England for long-established semi-natural woods, shaped by centuries of traditional management. As an official designation, it describes woods which have existed since the early seventeenth century, and which today contain a distinctive range of plants which find it hard to colonize more recently wooded ground. Such woods are often assumed to provide a direct link with the natural vegetation of England, as this existed before the virgin forests were fragmented by the arrival of farming. This groundbreaking study questions many of these assumptions. Drawing on more than a decade of research in Norfolk, the authors emphasize the essentially unnatural character of ancient woods. This important volume will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of the English countryside and environmental history.
- ISBN10 1909291609
- ISBN13 9781909291607
- Publish Date 1 October 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint University of Hertfordshire Press
- Format eBook
- Pages 288
- Language English