Damage to beech woodlands in the Chilterns by the grey squirrel

This study aimed to quantify the extent of grey squirrel damage, by bark stripping, to broadleaved trees in the 15 000-ha Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and to estimate its impact on the potential to grow high quality broadleaved timber. The results largely confirmed work elsewhere in Britain. Beech and sycamore were more seriously damaged than other species present. Among mature trees, there was significant variation between sites according to the care that had been taken to control squirrels. In the best cases, >90 per cent of trees were undamaged, while in the worst examples only 10 per cent of trees had escaped damage. Among younger trees (<50 years old) levels of damage were much higher: 75 per cent of young trees were damaged, compared with 44 per cent in mature woods. The significance of this latter finding is that the traditional Chilterns’ landscape of beech woods can probably not be maintained beyond the life of the existing trees.