Biodiversity Action Plan

Wet Woodland

Wet woodland photo: Paul Glendell, Natural EnglandWet woodland is usually dominated by alder, birch or willow; it is most frequent in the Dark Peak and the South West Peak areas on wet slopes, valley sides and moorland cloughs where the ground is permanently waterlogged.

Wet woodland is often associated with other habitats such as oak / birch or ash woodland, and can also be found on dalesides and around the margins of blanket bog.

Because wet woodland combines many elements of other habitats, it is important for a variety of species including marsh marigold and tussock sedge. It can also provide cover for otters and may be useful for their potential re-colonisation of the Peak District.

Wet woodland action plan (295KB) Adobe pdf document



Revised BAP Targets

  • Maintain the existing area (about 200-250 ha) of wet woodland
  • Achieve favourable (or recovering) condition on 95% of wet woodland within SSSIs by 2010
  • Achieve favourable (or recovering) condition on 25 ha of wet woodland outside SSSIs by 2010
  • Initiate restoration of 18 ha of wet woodland on priority sites by 2010
  • Create new wet woodland where appropriate

This map shows our current best knowledge of the extent of wet woodland in the Peak District.

Wet woodland map