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Back to the lockdown woodlands today: this is Derkmore Wood, a 10ha oak scrub woodland surrounded by spruce plantations in a hanging valley above the Gweebarra Estuary in West Donegal. It's a textbook example of a 'geriatric' woodland: a woodland unable to regenerate itself (1/6)
In 2008, it received a high conservation score for diversity, particularly of canopy mosses and ferns. Apparently there are more than 24 species of moss or fern in and around this tree, giving it some colour even in mid Winter (2/6)
On the woodland floor, the 2008 survey gave a high threat score due to incessant grazing by the deer herds that run rampant in this area. The oak standards are surrounded by closely cropped grass. Zero regeneration. Attempts at planting with tree guards have limited success (3/6)
Much more successful has been the establishment of a deer fence around 7 of the 10 hectares. Natural regeneration on the left of this fence line is shooting up just after a few years, while the saplings on the right haven't even emerged from their tree guards (4/6)
Deer fencing is expensive and not sustainable over large areas, but could it be used to extend the margins of this once huge oakwood and encourage regeneration over this semi-abandoned grazing land that used to be part of it? For now, the deer are getting the best of it (6/6)
