Image of EU LIFE funding logos.

LIFE19 NAT/UK/000147

What We're Doing

The LIFE in the Ravines project was set up to restore up to 25% of the Peak District Dales SAC, ravine woodland severely damaged by ash dieback. These wooded areas are home to a number of species,  dependent on the ash trees for protection and nutrients. Without intervention, the SAC is likely to fall into decline, putting these species at risk.

JUMP TO Where We’re Working
99 Infected
25%
Restored

The project aims to restore the conservation status of 25% (170ha) of Peak District Dales ravine woodland over a five-year period.

Work on Site

To achieve our target, we are undertaking restoration work across SAC sites impacted by ash dieback. Activities include:

Image of Forestry Commission, training team on site.

SAC Site Assessments

  • Measurement of the level of ash dieback infection at each SAC site.
  • Deer impact assessments to help our partners prevent grazing of planted trees.
  • Surveys to monitor how our work has impacted vegetation growth in each area.
Image of Elm seeds, collected from sites.

Seed Collection From our SAC Sites

  • Plant / grow seeds collected from the same site for maintaining site-specific genetics. In particular, foundation species small-leaved lime, large-leaved lime, and wych elm.
  • Identify wych elm trees showing signs of resistance to Dutch elm disease on site. Seeds from these trees are being collected for specialist growing, ready for site planting.
Image of LIFE in the Ravines team, chain sawing infected ash trees.

Enhancing Woodland Canopy Health

  • In areas heavily affected by ash dieback, ash trees are being removed so that a variety of tree species can be planted in their place. As a result, these planted species will have the opportunity to regenerate naturally.
  • By identifying ash trees that are tolerant to ash dieback (estimated 5-10% of the SAC population), we’ll be able to promote, protect, and encourage ash regeneration, to maintain ash as a viable species.
Image of LIFE in the Ravines team, cleaning truck tires.

Management of Disease and Invasives

  • Our work includes applying best practices for prevention of further disease spread across the SAC area.
Image of LIFE in the Ravines team, pointing out signs of ash dieback on ash tree.

Monitoring the Impact of Project Actions

  • Throughout the project, we will be monitoring the impact our work has had on the SAC sites.
Image of LIFE in the Ravines team member, explaining project to the public.

Ecosystem and Social-Economic Impacts of our Project Actions

  • The project actions will be assessed in terms of their impact on the wider local community.
Image of LIFE in the Ravines team member, planting tree on site.

Work Practices

  • To protect and prevent damage to the woodland habitat, our work is low impact and predominantly completed using hand tools on foot. 
  • Rather than removing too many ash trees too quickly, we stagger and spread out the work across the sites to avoid adding further pressure to the woodland habitat.

Where We're Working

The below map shows the location of the Peak District Dales Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within the national park, highlighting sites we’re currently working on.

Peak District Dales SAC

In the Peak National Park, there are a variety of habitats.

As a result of the area’s geology, the Peak District is divided into two sections, The Dark Peak and The White Peak. Due to the Dark Peaks gritstone landscape, species such as heather, gorse, and bracken thrive in the acidic soil. Whereas the limestone soils of the White Peak support species such as ash trees and wildflowers such as cowslips and early purple orchid.

The White Peak plateau is mostly agricultural land and is an ideal place to farm. However, tucked away in the steep sided dales of the White Peak is the relatively undisturbed Peak District Dales SAC. This mosaic of woodland, grassland and scrub habitats is rich in wildlife.

Map of the Peak District National Park, which shows where both the Dark and White Peak areas are. It also shows where both the South Pennine Moors and the Peak District Dales SAC's are located within the area.
JUMP TO RAVINE WOODLAND
Map of the Peak District National Park, which shows where both the Dark and White Peak areas are. It also shows where both the South Pennine Moors and the Peak District Dales SAC's are located within the area.

Find out More About the Peak District Dales

Image of Natura 2000 logo.

What is an SAC?

Countries across the UK and Europe are preserving Special Areas of Conservation, or SACs for short. Under the EU Habitats Directive, SACs are designated for the preservation, protection, and enhancement of a wide variety of at-risk animals and plants. Within the UK, over 648 sites have been designated as an SAC, covering a total area of just less than 13,500 ha. In our Peak District, we have two SACs protected by several organisations. These are called The Peak District Dales SAC and The South Pennine Moors SAC.

Image of bird called a Dipper.

Why is the Peak District Dales an SAC?

Under the EU Habitats Directive, habitat types and species in need of conservation action are identified across Europe and the UK. SAC designation was given to the Peak District Dales because it supports a diverse mix of habitats and species on the Directive, including calcium-rich spring-fed fens, dry heaths, and rare fish species, such as brook lampreys and white-clawed crayfish. However, the most significant feature of its SAC designation is its ravine (Tilio-Acerion) woodlands.

Image of a lime tree in a woodland.

The SAC’s woodland

There are many wooded habitats in the Peak District managed and protected by private owners, government bodies and non-governmental organisations. The owners of the Peak District Dales SAC are working together to restore this special area so it can continue to support common species such as wood anemone and wild garlic as well the rare rock whitebeam and large leaved lime. The Dales offer ideal conditions for ravine (Tilio-Acerion) woodland, which flourishes on the rocky, shaded slopes. In fact, the Peak District Dales SAC contains the largest example of Tilio-Acerion woodland in the UK, comprising 16% of the UK’s total.

Ravine Woodland

With its unstable soil conditions and steep, rocky, sloped landscape, the Peak District Dales are ideal for ravine (Tilio Acerion) woodlands. Before human intervention and gradual changes in our climate, our Dales were home to a rich variety of tree species within ravine (Tilio Acerion) woodland. 

So, what exactly is a ravine (Tilio-Acerion) woodland, and why is the ash tree dominating ours in the Peak District Dales?

Read on to learn more.

Find out more about RAVINE WOODLAND
Image of a ravine woodland from above the canopy.

Find out More About the Ravine Woodlands

Image of an elm tree.

What is a Tilio-Acerion Woodland?

Tilio-Acerion woodland is the EU-designated name for ravine woodlands. It thrives on slopes, sinkholes, gorges, and hollows with rocky, unstable soil. As a result, the Peak District Dales provide an ideal environment for these woodlands to flourish. Broad-leaved species such as ash, small leaved lime, large leaved lime, and wych elm dominate Tilio-Acerion woodlands.

Image of the LIFE in the Ravines team, on site.

Peak District Dales Ravine Woodland

Our Peak District Dales woodlands have been shaped over centuries by factors such as a changing climate, mining, and grazing. Prior to this, these woodlands had a great diversity of trees that supported even more plants and animals. 

Image of a ravine woodland.

Foundation Species

The foundation species of a woodland define the structure of its eco-system, dictating the habitat conditions. The four foundation species of the Peak District Dales ravine woodland are ash, wych elm, small leaved lime and large leaved lime.

Ash Dominant Ravine Woodlands

Due to continued clearing of our ravine woodland, large areas were left open, allowing strong self-seeding tree species to spread. It wasn’t long before ash trees (the strongest self-seeder of the foundation species) began dominating these areas. Dutch elm disease also aided the spread of ash by wiping out large numbers of wych elm.

Before Human Interference

Diagram showing how the four foundation species of a ravine woodland were spread across the dales, before humans began removing them. The diagram shows how ash trees dominated the lower end of the slopes, where the soil is deep and moist. Wych elm, small and large leaved lime dominated the higher end of the slopes, as they do better than ash in dryer, shallower soil conditions.

In the illustration above, we see how the four foundation species were spread across the ravine slopes before humans began removing them. Until ash dominated the area, it was mainly found at the lower end of the ravine in the moist deeper soils. As the slopes climbed up, the canopy became dominated by wych elm and lime. Ash became less abundant.

 

After Human Interference

Diagram shows how ash spread from the lower end of the ravines after humans began removing trees in the dales. With wych elm, large and small leaved lime removed, ash was able to spread up and over the ravines. Therefore, our Peak District Dale woodlands are now over 80% ash.

As the woodlands were cleared, ash took over. Ash now makes up at least 80% of these wooded areas. Despite the ash spreading successfully from its preferred location at the damp base of the ravines, the conditions are not ideal. As a result, the ash trees higher up the slopes are stressed and growing poorly. Further Increasing their vulnerability to ash dieback.

Ash Dieback

Over the years, infectious diseases have been able to spread across the globe via increases in both international travel and trade. As a result, our native ash tree was introduced to a foreign fungal disease called ash dieback.

Image of an ash tree with ash dieback. The image shows how the trees branches are almost bare.

Find out More About Ash Dieback

Image of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, fungus.

What is Ash Dieback?

Ash dieback is a disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus which is a type of fungus. A fast spreader it releases spores which can travel for miles, spreading the disease across countries. Since the disease first appeared in Europe over 30 years ago, it spread to the UK where the disease is having a devastating impact on our  ash trees.

In most cases, ash dieback leads to the tree’s eventual death. Resulting in a loss in canopy cover, which will reduce shade and woodland humidity. This is extremely concerning in protected areas, such as the Peak District Dales SAC that is dominated by ash trees. 

Image of ash dieback signs in the bare canopy.

How to Spot Ash Dieback

Signs of ash dieback and what to look out for:

  • Spots on leaves.
  • Leaves wilt, turn black and shed early.
  • Dark, typically diamond shaped, lesions on branches and / or trunk.
  • New growth of buds further down the trunk – common response to stress caused by the disease.
  • Growth of pathogens including Honey Fungus (Armillaria).
Image of honey fungus in the roots of a fallen ash tree.

Peak District Dales Ash Dieback

In Europe and the UK, thousands of ash trees have been, and continue to be infected. The following timeline shows how the disease arrived, and quickly spread within our Peak District Dales SAC:

  • 2015 – Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) arrived in the SAC.
  • 2016 – All the SAC’s woodlands were confirmed infected with ash dieback at low levels.
  • 2020 – 99% of the SAC’s 600,000 ash trees are infected with ash dieback
                 – Estimated that 5% of ash trees are now dead.
                 – 20% of the ash trees have less than 25% foliage remaining.

Get in touch

Useful Links

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to find our latest news and information about our current projects.

Scroll to Top