Wet woodland: Derwentside
Semi-natural wet woodlands occur on poorly drained or seasonally wet soils, and usually comprise a mixture of alder, birch and willows.
Within the Derwentside Reserve, which is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, alder dominates the wet woodland, although birch and willow are also present, alongside some oakwood on drier ground. Alongside these trees, mosses, sedges, horsetails and ferns are common.
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Flowers to be seen include golden-leaved saxifrage, yellow pimpernel, meadowsweet, nettle and marsh marigold. The nettles in particular provide food for a number of butterfly species, including the small tortoiseshell, comma, peacock and red admiral. Other species to be seen include the bullfinch, spotted flycatcher and song thrush.
Wet woodland can also provide good cover and breeding sites for mammals such as the otter. Thus retention of this habitat along the Derwent Valley could be an important factor in the potential recolonisation of the Derwent and other rivers in the Peak by the otter.
Wet woodland can develop in former mineral and aggregate extraction sites, where the water table is close to the surface. Thus potential exists to extend the habitat's area by encouraging development of wet woodland within former quarry sites.
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