Perhaps the most intensively studied natural area on earth (1), Wytham Woods is situated in the heart of the Upper Thames Basin in Oxfordshire, England (2). Wytham Woods, also known as the Woods of Hazel (3), is a beautiful patchwork of deciduous woodland and grassland (4). The woods have been owned by the world-renowned University of Oxford since 1943 (2) and thus its diverse flora and fauna have been the subject of numerous studies (4).
The woods and grassland of Wytham cover two hills and range from altitudes of 60 to 164 metres (5). The average monthly temperature at Wytham Woods is between 4 and 17 degrees Celsius, and 31 to 77 millimetres of rain falls each month (6).
The woodland at Wytham can be roughly divided into three areas: ancient, secondary and plantation woodlands (7). Ancient woodland, which is land that has had continuous woodland cover since 1600 (8) covers approximately one-third of Wytham (6). England currently has 350,000 hectares of ancient woodland, covering just 2.6 percent of its land (8), but these woodlands are the UK’s richest sites for wildlife (9).
Secondary woodlands, which cover another third of the site (6), are areas which were once used for pasture or cultivation, but which have since been left to naturally return to woodland (4) (7).
The remaining areas are plantations – some of which have existed since the 19th century, but most are younger than 60 years old – and open grassland (6), which is situated mainly on the top of the hills (3). A variety of small spring-fed streams, ponds and marshy patches add to the rich diversity (3) (4)
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