The composition of woodlands in Cumbria.

In pre-historic times, Cumbria was almost completely \nc6vered with woodland which, as described by Satchell \n(see page 2), was progressively and Selectively \ncleared by man for agricultural purposes. These factors \nhave led to patches of woodland being left on land \nwith the lowest value for agriculture. The remaining, or \nancient, woodland is often on steep slopes and shallow \nsoils, so it is difficult to appreciate the original \nwoodland composition across Cumbria as a whole. \nThe area of woodland probably reached its lowest \npoint towards the end of the 17th century, but since \n.then it has been increasing; much of this increase has \nbeen relatively recent and is coniferous in character. \nThe expansion of woodland cover has provided shelter \nfor deer which have increased in the last 50 years. \nWhilst there are no comparable records for other \nwoodland animals (eg birds), their numbers also have \nprobably increased, at the expense of moorland species, \nas haS occurred elsewhere in Britain. \nThe primary environmental influence in Cumbria is the \nclimate, which is relatively mild even in -winter,- with \nhigh rainfall throughout the year, reaching a maximum \nin winter. This oceanic climate determines the overall \ncomposition of the flora and fauna in the area. Another \ngeneral influence is the island status of Britain, which \nhaS restricted immigration of species, in comparison \nwith other mountainous areas in Europe. At a local \nlevel within the county, it is usually the soil nutrient \nand moisture status which is critical in determining the \nvegetation composition, but this is overridden in upland \nareas by the influence of altitude, which restricts \nthe distribution of some species.