Crowborough Ghyll is one of the High Weald Ghyll Woods
Gills – defined as deeply incised, wooded ravines that have been eroded by the streams flowing along their base – are a characteristic features of the High Weald AONB and found across the landscape. Although they support internationally important groups of plants (particularly lichens, mosses, liverworts and ferns) they remain understudied, and questions remain about their ecology, history and management – questions that this report helps to answer. High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: New guidance for Kent and Sussex woods
An overview of the character and ecological significance of gill woodland in the High Weald AONB including results of some preliminary baseline surveys for population monitoring of selected rare vascular plants of gill woodland Philip Sansum BSc PhD December 2014. Key conclusions:
- Gills are of very high environmental value but relatively weakly protected by the existing framework of nature conservation designation.
- Effective conservation and management is hindered by both a lack of survey information and a poor understanding of the relationships between woodland management (and other human impacts) and gill woodland biodiversity.
- Long-term biological survey work will be crucial in filling the knowledge gap and serving ongoing conservation efforts in gill woodlands.
- Gill woods represent unique combinations of semi‐natural woodland features and for management purposes – because of the soil and vegetation sensitivity and year‐round wet conditions – many of the principles applied to wet woodlands (i.e. minimising rates of change, maintaining mature habitat, and extraction with extreme care and sensitivity to avoid ground damage etc.) should be followed.
The landscape of the Ghyll:
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