MANAGEMENT UNITS AND THEIR USE FOR IDENTIFICATION, MAPPING AND MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR VEGETATION TYPES IN UPLAND CONIFER FORESTS

Management Units were developed for Kielder Forest based on physiograp hic features and dominant vegetation types, for use by foresters in id entification, mapping and management of plant communities in new and e xisting forests. The National Vegetation Classification was used to ch aracterize the plant communities occurring in unplanted areas thus pro viding a framework for assessing changes caused by afforestation (nota bly effects of ploughing and draining and reduced grazing) and subsequ ent crop growth (increased shade, reduced soil moisture). To enable fo resters to make similar comparisons elsewhere, a dichotomous key was d evised to assist identification of NVC communities within upland fores ts. However, most plant communities in conifer crops with well-develop ed canopies are transitional between NVC communities and some of them appear stable and recognizable as conifer plantation communities. Fore st Management Units provide a useful broad classification system above the National Vegetation Classification, offering a sound basis for th e creation of vegetation conservation inventories at the regional, for est district or individual forest scales. Management Units can also ai d the definition of broad conservation objectives and the drawing up o f management prescriptions and could provide a basis for determining n on-crop (amenity, recreation, wildlife) values of forests. They are no t intended to provide information at a scale allowing specific plant c ommunities to be mapped, nor to provide the more detailed prescription s required for the conservation of such communities.