Oak/birch woodland: Bow Wood
Much of the Peak District's remaining semi-natural oak/birch woodland, including that at Bow Wood is concentrated along the Derwent River Valley. Although formerly widespread, woodland clearance by man elsewhere has left it virtually restricted to the steeper land of such valley-sides. These woodlands are dominated by sessile and pendunculate oaks along with downy and silver birch. They also support a number of other tree and shrub species, including holly, guelder rose, rowan and hazel, the latter species having been subject to coppicing in many areas.
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On more acidic soils bracken, wavy-hair grass, bilberry and ferns are also found. In some areas invasive species such as sycamore can be found amongst these more characteristic species. Where the canopy remains fairly open, especially where coppicing has been undertaken, the woodlands support a range of ground flora, including spring carpets of bluebells, wood anenome, ramsons (wild garlic), honeysuckle and yellow archangel. Of particular interest are the spring-flowering wild daffodils, which carpet the ground in the oak woodlands in the Derwentside Reserve. These are likely to be the remnant of a much larger ancient population.
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