Take a look, through some of the common species of wildlife that live in the South Yorkshire area around Sheffield and Rotherham.
A recently extended patch of heathland and woodland, neighbouring Wyming Brook.
Help stop the badger cull coming to Sheffield and Rotherham!
Unveil the hidden world of insects in Sheffield & Rotherham with the newest issue of Kingfisher magazine.
Wyming Brook Update: Thank you for your continued patience whilst works have been taking place at Wyming Brook Nature Reserve.The site is now reopened to visitors.
Over the last year we have been open and honest about the planned works at Wyming Brook nature reserve in response to the Forestry Commission’s Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN); sharing articles, putting up signs and talking to visitors about this terrible fungus attacking larches on site. We are now in the process of removing the larches as set out in the SPHN. Fortunately, the SPHN doesn’t cover the whole site and larches only make up a small proportion of the overall mixed, broadleaf-conifer woodland. As such we think the integrity of the woodland overall will be maintained and due to this action, larch trees outside the SPHN area (on the reserve and beyond) may not succumb to the disease. We also expect, in time, that trees will fill the spaces created through natural regeneration creating a diverse, resilient woodland.
We’ve updated our frequently asked questions below:
The Forestry Commission has issued a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) for Wyming Brook nature reserve. This legally requires the Trust to fell specific trees as a way of controlling the spread of disease.
We have to comply with the Forestry Commission’s request to fell or kill the trees they have specified.
The Forestry Commission identified that the tree disease Phytophthora ramorum is present on site. They did this by flying over the canopy to visually identify potential infection areas and then testing 6 European larch trees spread across the site. Sadly, all the trees sampled were infected with the fungus. The Forestry Commission then identified a buffer zone around each positively tested tree in an attempt to isolate the fungus and reduce further spread.
We were then issued with the SPHN, which is a letter setting out the actions we are required to take by law. This tells us to kill the larch trees – the host plants – either by felling or ring-barking, in order to contain the disease. Currently we are not aware of any other approach to managing this fungus other than sanitation felling.
Having already jumped from Japanese larch to European larch and Sweet chestnut, there is concern that the fungus will move to other host species. There are many healthy larch trees as well as other tree species at Wyming Brook, so obviously trying to prevent further infection is critical.
The Forestry Commission are the experts in the management of Phytophthora ramorum so please contact them for more information about evidence and research in relation to their current policy.
Please note that the issued SPHN does not require us to remove leaf litter. We understand that the fungus depends on living plant tissue to reproduce so when trees are felled or ring-barked the disease will die. Please refer to the Forestry Commission’s information on the approach to sanitation felling that they have set out.
In our view this operation is intrusive but ultimately we want to see a more resilient woodland restored at Wyming Brook and this will support that approach. Sadly tree diseases such as Phytophthora ramorum are becoming increasingly prevalent in part due to historic approaches to tree selection and planting (these larch trees are more at home in the Alps) as well as the warmer, wetter climate resulting from global warming.
No, Phytophthora ramorum has rapidly spread across the UK in recent years. In the immediate locality, the disease has also been identified in Yorkshire Water and Sheffield City Council woodlands. They have recently completed their felling obligations under SPHN’s served to them.
No, many thousands of trees will remain at Wyming Brook. As a mixed coniferous-broadleaf woodland, Wyming Brook nature reserve has a variety of tree species – including birch, oak, rowan, beech, scots pine, austrian pine, alder and willow – which are unaffected and will remain untouched. Many healthy larch trees will also remain. We believe that 800-850 larch trees will be felled or ring-barked.
Wyming Brook will remain a special wildlife area, a wooded ravine, supporting birds such as wood warbler, pied and spotted flycatchers, moths such as t