Environment Type: Pollard/Coppice


This is a woodland management process that involves cutting the tree down without killing it, and allowing it to grow again, usually with several small shoots, rather than one central trunk. Particularly effective for Hazel and Willow, but many trees can be pollarded or coppiced. Coppicing involves cutting the tree at more-or-less ground level, and is sometimes used to create a hedge, but usually just used where the new growth will not be eaten by animals; whereas pollarding involves cutting the tree higher up (perhaps at head height) so that the fresh young shoots start to grow out of the reach of grazing animals, and thus the new growth avoids being eaten. It is a great way of gaining firewood, or fence posts etc without killing the tree, and also keeps the tree more manageable.

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