DB Specific Record

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***SWAAG_ID***	811
Date Entered	07/06/2014
Updated on	14/06/2014
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Tree Site Record
Record Type	Botanical HER
Site Access	Public Footpath
Record Date	06/06/2014
Location	Both banks of the River Cover below and to the south of Braidley in Coverdale
Civil Parish	Carlton Town
Brit. National Grid	SE 031 796
Altitude	265m
Geology	Glacial till over the Middle Limestone series and River Cover flood plain.
Record Name	Alderwoods on both banks of the River Cover upstream from the footbridge below Braidley.
Record Description	This record will provide photographic images taken both in winter and in early summer of the very fine, managed alder woods which survive today on the north bank of the River Cover below Braidley on the north bank and at Derry Close, Low pasture and at West Close on the southern side of the River Cover. These woodlands, once extended across the whole of lower, and most of the upper slopes of Coverdale. Alders are the dominant tree species on wet spring flushed soils over glacial boulder clays and colluvium on the lower dale sides. Alder woods, originally widespread and managed by coppice and pollarding for charcoal and useful small wood, have long been opened up as pasture. These woodlands are now largely confined to the riversides and to the confines of the many small stream-cut steep sided ravines on both sides of the river. Whereas alders are by far the most dominant tree in these woods, occasional isolated ash trees, old downy birch trees and rowan survive on the top edge of steep banks and on drier soils wherever the presence of glacial gravels and better drainage allows. Sallows are present, but not common anywhere. For details of the species composition of Alderwoods, see J.S. Rodwell, 1991. Editor. British Plant Communities. Volume 1: Woodlands and Scrub,102-112: W7 Alnus glutinosa- Fraxinus excelsior-Lysimachia nemorum woodland.
Dimensions	From the footbridge over the River Cover at Derry Close to the pastures upstream of West Close
Additional Notes	These images will be arranged to provide: a)Images of the Alderwoods as seen from the unfenced road west of Braidley. b)Images of the riverside woods. c)Images of the woodlands on the Dale side. d)Images of the alders , ash and downy birch trees. NOTE! During the most recent visit to Wensleydale to record individual trees for the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Hunt Website, see http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/ it was apparent that very many mature and young ash trees throughout Lower Swaledale, Wensleydale, Coverdale, by the Motorway and nearby countryside were visibly distressed with evident leaf loss. Fearing the worst and that Ash Die Back had arrived in the area we looked at one or two visibly affected trees. The symptoms were of ash bud moth damage and no evidence of lesions or other known signs of ash die back were seen. Samples were taken for laboratory analysis and diagnosis. We await the results. Affected trees show severe leaf loss and deformation of the emerging leaf at the bud. Several ash trees were entirely leafless, leaf cover to most affected trees was very reduced. Affected trees can be seen everywhere. Such serious damage will weaken the ash trees and render them susceptible to ash die back fungus attack if and when this different scourge arrives. This is a foretaste of the threat to come and drives home the need to record the trees while they are still alive.
Image 1 ID	5449 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	View from Braidley towards Whernside over the alders of Low Pasture
Image 2 ID	5456 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description	Ancient alder below the footbridge over the Cover at Derry Close
Image 3 ID	5457 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	River Cover. View upstream from the footbridge.
Image 4 ID	5458 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description	River Cover. View upstream from the footbridge.
Image 5 ID	5450 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description	The view down to Low Pasture Alderwoods across the Cover from Braidley
Image 6 ID	5453 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description	West Close from the unfenced road west of Braidley
Image 7 ID	5454 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description	Whernside across the moorland above the limit of the present alder wood.
Image 8 ID	5455 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description	Whernside across the moorland above the limit of the present alder wood. Alders would previously have grown on the wet flushed moorland here also.
Image 9 ID	5460 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description	Recording ancient coppiced alders on abandoned river bank.
Image 10 ID	5461 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description	These ancient coppiced alders mark a previous line of the south bank of the River Cover
Image 11 ID	5462 Click image to enlarge
Image 11 Description	Alders at ford.
Image 12 ID	5464 Click image to enlarge
Image 12 Description	Low Pasture. Birch and alders line the streams.
Image 13 ID	5465 Click image to enlarge
Image 13 Description	Low Pasture. Ancient alder with exposed root column denoting the amount of erosion since coppicing.
Image 14 ID	5466 Click image to enlarge
Image 14 Description	Alder at top of stream ravine. Low Pasture.
Image 15 ID	5480 Click image to enlarge
Image 15 Description	West Close.
Image 16 ID	5468 Click image to enlarge
Image 16 Description	Detail of this streamside alder.
Image 17 ID	5469 Click image to enlarge
Image 17 Description	The exposed, columnar structure of the alder root system and ancient soil line denotes the erosion since last coppiced.
Image 18 ID	5470 Click image to enlarge
Image 18 Description	Alderwoods at Low Pasture and Derry Close from the road.
Image 19 ID	5471 Click image to enlarge
Image 19 Description	This fine ash tree has suffered from the ravages of the ash bud moth and is distressed with much reduced and deformed leaf.
Image 20 ID	5472 Click image to enlarge
Image 20 Description	Alders by the River Cover.
Image 21 ID	5473 Click image to enlarge
Image 21 Description	Alder on the riverbank.
Image 22 ID	5474 Click image to enlarge
Image 22 Description	Managed alder at old riverbank hedgerow.
Image 23 ID	5475 Click image to enlarge
Image 23 Description	Large riverside ash coppice.
Image 24 ID	5476 Click image to enlarge
Image 24 Description
Image 25 ID	5477 Click image to enlarge
Image 25 Description	Distressed ash tree by the Cover. The much reduced and deformed leafage of this fine tree is the consequence of Ash Bud Moth grub infestation. Very many ash trees show this damage.
Image 26 ID	5478 Click image to enlarge
Image 26 Description	The same ash tree.
Image 27 ID	5479 Click image to enlarge
Image 27 Description	Detail of the ash bud damage and deformation.
Image 28 ID	5481 Click image to enlarge
Image 28 Description	Woodale, Ridge Scar.Very large and ancient Wych elm coppice on low limestone cliff upstream of the Alderwoods.
Image 29 ID	5482 Click image to enlarge
Image 29 Description	The bole of this large cliff self or wind coppiced wych elm measured 7.8m girth at the base.