PAWS Restoration

Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration is a conservation practice focused on reviving the ecological integrity of ancient woodlands that were cleared and replanted with commercial conifers or non-native broadleaves, largely during the mid-to-late 20th century.

Although the creation of an overstorey made up of non-native trees completely alters the woodland canopy, the underlying soil ecosystem often retains irreplaceable components of the original ancient woodland, including seed banks, fungal mycorrhizae, and dormant specialist flora.

The restoration process requires a highly sensitive, gradual approach rather than abrupt clear-felling. Sudden exposure to full sunlight can trigger a massive rush of competitive vegetation like bramble and bracken, which smothers delicate native plants and alters soil chemistry. Instead, foresters implement a sequence of gradual, light thinnings over decades. This progressively opens the canopy, allowing light to reach the forest floor in controlled increments. This selective removal focuses on halo-thinning around surviving veteran broadleaves or dense patches of native regeneration.

By carefully managing light levels and minimising ground disturbance from heavy harvesting machinery (for example, using horse loggers), PAWS restoration coaxes the native woodland community back to life, transitioning a monoculture plantation back into a resilient, structurally diverse semi-natural ecosystem.