Fagus sylvatica (Common beech)
In Toll Wood:
Common Beech is a vigorous tree, rising above 12 metres. In open sites, it supports a broad, domed canopy. In Toll Wood, the 'wavy' leaf edge distinguishes beech from the more numerous species of elm and hornbeam which have toothed elliptic leaves. The rich soil over chalk in Toll Wood suits this tree very well. Succession planting should be a priority for this species to continue its contribution to biodiversity.
In Spring, the wavy-edged leaves are yellow-green and lightly hairy margins, changing to hairless rich golden and reddish-brown in Autumn. The female blossom is unobtrusive, the male catkins appear on the same tree; the triangular nuts are strongly characteristic of beech trees and easily identified amongst the leaf-litter.
Beech woodlands have an important role in our countryside - remarked as the "queen of trees" by the Woodland Trust. One of the tallest and most characterful trees in old age. The straight-grained timber is important in furniture-making, cabinet-making, tool handles, and a good fuel. The bark is smooth and grey but becomes increasingly fissured in later life.
With so few examples inside Toll Wood it would be interesting to see if we have present any moth caterpillars for barred hook-tip, clay triple-lines and olive crescent (ref: Woodland Trust).
Perhaps we should count ourselves lucky that beech are not more successful in Toll Wood as their dense shade, masses of beech nuts, and thick carpets of fallen leaves can suppress ground plants and intermediate understorey. It is worth noting there is a spectacular truly ancient purple beech (est. 210-230 years old) in a nearby private parkland setting in the Lyn Valley.
Biodiversity value: MEDIUM
Beech nuts provide valuable food for mammals and birds. The abundance and density of leaves support chewers in particular. There relatively few leaf-miner species and gall formers. Quite common in beech trees is the felted beech coccus (scale insect that can colonise crevices and bark). Inspection of the underside of beech leaves can reveal silky strands and colonies of the Woolly beech aphid.
Beech is particularly important for its mycoryhizal fungi (including truffles), wood decay fungi and invertebrates. It is also an important tree for epiphytic lichens, mosses, etc under the right conditions. Pollen is carried in the wind rather than through insect action.
The fagus species (also oak and ash) are noted as high emitters of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Beech emits isoprene and monoterpenes. These are important in the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols that improve air quality (cloud nucleation). BVOC emissions may also signal to other trees that they are suffering leaf-damage from herbivors or other stressors like drought.
Chosing beech for hedging has many other advantages - most obvious is that trained beech hedges hold onto their autumn leaves throughout the winter - great for privacy and protection for birds, insects, and small mammals.
