Plumpton: Main Flashcards
Give three estate tasks that involve hedges
- Shaping
- Controlling weeds
- Mulching (helps to retain water!)
How should you water hedgerows? Why? Why shouldn’t you pamper them?
- You want to water them heavily, but infrequently. This is to help them grow really deep roots (and it will help you save money).
- If you water lightly and regularly, the roots will be shallow.
- If you over pamper a hedge, it won’t be very resilient.
How long does it take to grow and care for a hedge (as an overall project)?
Five years.
When will a hedge start to look like a hedge?
During the third or fourth year (remember that it takes five years to grow a hedge). The whips will look more tree-like (and not planted).
What are the six super-common hedge species?
- Hawthorn
- Blackthorn
- Field maple
- Hazel
- Dogwood
- Wayfaring
Give an example which shows why scientific names are important.
Hawthorn is called mayflower in some places (and there are many plants called mayflower!)
What does it mean if you can see through a hedge?
Then it isn’t that thick!
What feature is important on a hedge? Why?
A nice thick base. This is good for wildlife - it will allow them to breed without being disturbed/eaten.
How do you cut a hedge and why?
- You should only cut one side of a hedge each year (so one side on one year, the next side the next year).
- On the third year you should leave it alone. Then repeat the cycle.
- This is because hedges fruit/flower on their second year!
What happens if you keep cutting hedge shoot?
A knuckle will develop and everything behind it will die back. This will result in horrible, gappy hedges.
Why are hedges useful on farms? (4 Points)
- They help to retain soil (this is useful because soils are constantly being ploughed).
- They also help to retain water (by drinking it).
- They also serve as anchor points for mycorrhizal systems.
- They also serve as windbreaks, helping to prevent soil erosion.
Are brambles good for a hedge?
Yes - they’re good for food and they’re hard to penetrate. However, they’re a sign that too much light is reaching the bottom of a hedge.
What’s wrong with this field maple?
It has mildew :(
Is this a good hedge?
No, it’s far too small (hedgerow management on farms often sucks).
What is this a sign of?
This is what happens when soil structure is bad (nasty puddles!) - this photo was taken in the corner of a corn field.
What is this a good example of?
This is a really nice ecotone.
* There’s a hidden ditch, which is good for amphibians.
* The large tree is providing shade, which protects plants from extreme conditions that are becoming more commonplace due to climate change.
* It also has a wavy edge.
What’s the problem with Hooper’s Law?
A newly planted hedge will have lots of species!
What’s Hooper’s Law?
A law for determining how old a hedge is.
Give three indicator species that can be used to identify an old hedge.
- Primroses
- Bluebells
- Dog’s mercury
Give an example of a species that’s useless in a hedge.
Ash, it sucks.
Why might there be a surviving ash tree in an area that’s been savage by ash dieback?
They may be protected by the wind, and therefore they haven’t received any spores.
What’s one of the first signs of ash dieback?
Diamond-shaped lesions on bark surrounding a branch/twig.
Where does ash dieback start and where does it finish?
It starts in the leaves and finished in the roots. You can see it slowly killing a tree as it spreads downwards.
What’s a headland?
A wide margin towards the end of a crop field. This one has a bird mix sown into it (includes teasel!)
Is a lonely oak tree in a field any good?
Yes - it can support a huge amount of biodiversity as long as it’s connected to everything else.
Why are beech monoculture woodlands so common in the UK? (2 Points)
- Beech is a climax species (it’s very competitive).
- Beech trees can feed their babies through mycorrhizae .
Are tree guards any good? (5 Points)
No
* They create microclimates that are warm and damp
* This is especially true if grass grows inside
* The microclimate causes bark to rot
* The guards also prevent lateral growth, resulting in any future hedges being gappy
* Rabbits will also be allowed to pass through the future hedge
What are trees that are planted in hedgerows called?
Standards
W
Why should hedges be planted in wobbly lines?
To help create variation in the future hedge’s shape.
What are the different layers of a woodland? (There are five of them!)
- Canopy
- Subcanopy (small trees that are still growing)
- Shrub layer
- Herbaceous layer
- Field layer
What can the occassional tree guard be useful for?
For letting the presence of a new hedgerow be known (e.g., to stop it from being mowed).
Why are black poplars in decline?
- Females produce fluffy seeds that look like snow
- No one liked this so they were cut down :(
- Now there’s a non-viable breeding population
What does a good hedge look like? What about a bad hedge?
The one on the left is good. The one on the right is bad. The one on the right has been flailed to within an inch of its life.
Why are standards good in coppice woods? (2 Points)
Because their shade helps to protect new coppice growth. They also maintain soil structure.
Other than lesions, what’s another symptom of ash dieback?
Water shoots (whippy twigs that grow straight up). The tree is trying to compartmentalize the fungus and stop it from reaching other parts of the tree.
Why does ash that’s been infected with dieback need to be cut down on public lands?
- Ash diebacks rots roots, making trees susceptible to falling over.
- The fungus also makes branches very brittle.
What happens when ash trees are removed from a forest due to dieback?
There’s rapid growth in the shrub layer - brambles will especially grow strongly.
What’s a distinctive feature of a hazel dormouse nest?
The scent of honeysuckle!
What do blackthorn leaves look like? What’s the scientific name of blackthorn?
Prunus spinosa
What do dogwood leaves look like? What’s the scientific name for dogwood?
Cornus sanguinea
What’s the latin name for common hawthorn?
Crataegus monogyna
What does a wayfaring tree look like? What’s the scientific name for a wayfaring tree?
Viburnum lantana
What’s the scientific name for a field maple?
Acer campestre
Should you ever strike the top of a spade with the sole of your boot?
No, you could very easily injure yourself. Instead, you should move your feet apart, lift up the spade, and then drop it.
What’s this?
A British Telecom rabbiting spade.
Why should you always use spoil sheets when using shov-holers?
Because soil extracted from deep-down is very hard to get rid off once it’s on grass.
What is a spike actually called? When do you use one?
- A pinch/crow bar
- You use one when you’re trying to get through chalk, flint, or concrete.
How do you use a pinch/crow bar?
- Bend your knees
- Straighten yourself up
- Drop!
- Remember to loosen your grip just before the bar strikes the soil.
What is a post driver actually called?
A drivall.
What should you remember to wear when using a drivall?
A hard hat - you could easily knock yourself out otherwise.
When using a drivall in a pair, why should you match the strength of the other person?
If you’re stronger than the other person, then you may tip the drivall towards them and cause serious injury.
Can you use a sledgehammer to drive in a fence post?
No - sledgehammers are designed to break things. A sledgehammer would break the top of a post.
Where should you leave a tape measure?
Anywhere but the ground - they catch dirt really easily :)
What should you apply in thin layers when tamping?
Dry cement! Make sure the cement is firmly packed against the edges.
When pushing mortices so that tenons go inside them, what can you do if the fence post isn’t straight (e.g., won’t go any further)?
- Mark where there’e resistance on the tenon
- Chisel the area away around the mark you’ve made
- If there’s still resistance, repeat this process
When slotting in rails into mortices, what way up should they be?
The non-barked side should face upwards.
The higher-quality fence rail should be…
At the top!
Why do some bow saws have gaps between their teeth?
To remove sappy sawdust paste - only use these saws when cutting through green wood.
What would you use the top blade for? What about the bottom blade?
- Top blade: green wood
- Bottom blade: dead wood
What sort of saws are very dangerous?
Those that don’t have many teeth - they’ll saw straight through into the bone. This includes silky saws.
When would you use a curved saw?
When trying to cut a branch that’s high up.
What’s a side axe?
An axe where the bevel is only on one side. The bevel should face inwards towards your centre.
What are the two types of lopper?
- Bypass lopper (common type)
- Anvil lopper
What sort of edge should you not use for precise work (e.g., carving)?
A concave edge (felt-tip edge). The blade will glance off when in use.
What are convex/felt-tip edges good for?
Splitting things!
Engineering files have different grits. What does that mean?
The grit of a file determines how much material you remove with each stroke. The higher the grit value, the more fine your edge will be.
How can you tell a field vole from a bank vole?
Field voles don’t have very visible ears - bank voles do (they’re much easier to spot). Field voles also have less prominent eyes.
Who this
A female black bird Turdus merula
Bud arrangement can be used to identify a tree. Give the four different bud arrangements.
