We have just spotted an explosion of oak seedlings in the wood (image above): the first mass appearance during the eight years we have been managing it.
Why this year of 2024? Two factors spring to mind: last Autumn was an incredible “mast” year for acorns, resulting in many oak woods along the west coast producing a bonanza (every few years there is a bumper year but this was an exception).
And then there is the deer fence, which went up in the summer of 2019. We have steadily been reducing deer numbers inside the fence so there are now only 2 roe deer left, and last year we really noticed the effects with high levels of birch regeneration in open areas. Regarding oak this year, we have started looking on the woodland floor outside the fence and there do seem to be fewer seedlings.
It is hugely exciting to see all these young oaks. They are not everywhere, reflecting the fact that last Autumn by no means all the oaks produced a big crop. Preliminary indications seem to suggest that the main flushes of seedlings are occurring in glades where there is more light getting to the woodland floor (note that in our wood we do not have classic circular glades – with us glades form when boughs rip off, sometimes causing neighbouring boughs tear off as well, or a tree falls over and self-regenerates by becoming a “phoenix” tree – so our glades are patchy and elongated in shape).
We would love to hear from others – are you observing a flush of seedling oaks in your woods?
