Wet woodlands

There are few large blocks of wet woodland in the Yorkshire Dales, but on boggy ground, in gills or beside tarns there can be found wooded patches dominated by trees that “don’t mind having their feet wet” – trees like Alder, Goat Willow, Common Sallow or Downy Birch.

Wet, decaying wood on the ground or in log-jams in streams host numerous specialist invertebrates such as the Northern Yellow Splinter-fly, while standing deadwood in wet woods supports fungi (such as Birch Polypore) and provides nest holes for birds like Marsh Tit.

Lengths of wooded strips beside rivers and streams (‘riparian woodland’) help cool the water, protecting fish stocks and slowing the flow of water during heavy rainfall (and thereby helping to alleviate flooding downstream).