Rushmore Woodland Biodiversity Research Project
A joint Project between the Rushmore Estate, and its forestry consultant Andy Poore, Dr Phil Sterling and Danny Alder of Dorset County Council, Dr Stuart Marsden of Manchester Metropolitan University and the Dorset Environmental Records Centre.
There is little information about the effect on biodiversity of manipulating broadleaved high forest at stand level. Rushmore has a large area of semi-natural woodland managed both as irregular high forest and coppice.
The aims of the project are:
- to investigate the relationship between forest structure and biodiversity at the stand-level scale in a range of actively managed, semi-natural woodlands on the Dorset/Wiltshire border.
- to undertake innovative research into the ramifications of irregular forest management in potentially enhancing biodiversity in semi-natural woodlands in Britain and
- to explore the use of innovate methodologies in the study of woodland birds and invertebrates, including the use of indicator species to allow the development of monitoring protocols which would in due course allow the gathering of data relating to this relationship across a wider area.
This will involve a PhD, a Masters Research student and the use of volunteers with a project period of 5 years. The intention is to start formally in September 2013 with further preparatory work being undertaken this summer.
For further information on this project please contact Andy Poore