Forestry Management Plan Consultation
The long-term vision of Dynamic Woods for Inzievar is to create a diverse native woodland teaming with life and character, creating a haven for biodiversity and a special place for people to come and immerse themselves in nature.
Dynamic Woods is in the process of developing a 10-year woodland management plan for Inzievar woods which aims to enhance the existing woodland through sustainable forest management. Our focus is to maintain the character of the woodland while increasing its species diversity and structure.
We are inviting stakeholders and interested parties to help guide this process, to ensure the plan is inclusive in line with the values of local residents and visitors to the woodland.
You can respond in the comment section below or email us. Responses can also be posted to:
The Woods, Inzievar
Dunfermline KY12 8HB
Responses need to be sent by the end of the 19th of November.
Key Objectives
10 Year Summary of Management
Inzievar is fortunate to have a diverse forest structure and a mixed age mixed species woodland, primarily comprising deciduous native trees like Oak, Birch, Sycamore, and Beech, as well sections of Scots Pine and Yew. Along with the sections of native woodland, Inzievar also has sections of former plantation species like Sittka Spruce and Western Hemlock, especially in the western most section previously managed by the Woodland Trust.
The woodland has fairly low densities of deer, allowing effective natural regeneration to take place, but there is also a new section of Scottish native broadleaf planted in Spring 2022. In addition to the tree diversity, the woods have an abundant amount of diverse understory species like Elder and Holly.
Inzievar has been managed with a light touch for the past 10 years, with minimal felling, thinning, and planting leaving the woodland to naturally regenerate and species to compete. The past 3 years have had a more hand on approach with planting and thinning taking place as well as beginning to remove invasive Rhododendron Ponticum.
Volunteer groups have also installed a leaky dam at the base of the pond to help raise the water level and increase the depth post rainfall as the pond has silted up over the past 20 years.
Proposed Future Woodland Management
Looking to the next 10 years of management, Dynamic Woods wants to intervene to increase the emphasis on Scottish native species and increase available habitat for wildlife.
A key aspect of this is the removal of invasive species and non-native conifers and replace them with high value native trees, with a focus on Aspen, but also planting Hornbeam, Rowan, Bird Cherry, Juniper, Yew, Holly, Field maple, Hawthorne, and Purging Buckthorn. Some of the Spruce will be left as standing dead wood and some as lying dead wood to support biodiversity. In addition we will be seeding native wildflowers to ensure a diverse multidimensional canopy.
In addition, we want to increase the amount of standing water on site. This provides high quality habitat for a number of species and helps mitigate flooding. Around the main new wetland site, we will incorporate a wildflower meadow and native understory plants.
Finally, we want to increase accessibility and engagement in the woodland so along with volunteering programs, we will be aiming to enhance the existing path network and add amenity infrastructure like benches and tables for visitors to be able to use.
For those interested in reading through our full plan they can read it here.
•Create a new wetland in sections E1b and the eastern section of E1a
•Selectively remove Sittka Spruce and replant with an Aspen stand
•Remove rhododendron, in particular from sections E1b and E5
•Improve the path network through section W2b and the main path through Inzievar East
Inzievar Management Map
Planting and Extraction Methods
Our aim is to minimize both the disruption to the woodland and to the local residents and visitors.
To this end we will:
Use only low impact planting methods to establish new woodland, no mechanical ground preparation will be used.
We will fell the areas of Sittka Spruce and Western Hemlock in small sections, to minimize the impact to local animals and visitors.
Felled trees will be removed using low impact methods, including horse logging and specialized tractors to ensure minimal damage to the surrounding areas and minimal associated noise.
We will not be introducing any deer fencing or other barriers around newly planted areas so there will be no restricted movement.
Where new tree guards are needed, we will use non-plastic compostable ones, to ensure no plastic pollution. We currently have used plastic ones which will also be reused.
Planning Consultation Open Forum
For those who have read this far we really appreciate it and would really like your feedback. You can add any thoughts, contributions, or concerns in the comment section below or you can email us.
We will also be running an open forum at Scottish Wood on the 8th of November at 7 pm, to give local residents a chance to directly discuss any concerns or suggestions.
This event is open to all concerned and we will be offering more information on our plans and welcome any input.
The event will be held in the new classroom at the Scottish Wood sawmill. The address is The Woods Inzievar KY12 8HB and there will be signage onsite to direct you on arrival.
