Hands Off Hartlebury Common

Steve your method of measuring a previously cut down tree is WRONG diameter of a tree is not measured across the width of a tree cut down or not, it gives a more inaccurate result than counting rings, you are overestimating the age of a tree that was needed to be cut down to improve the heathland areas, as trees encroach to much into heathland, any up to date media including scientific papers state this. I would also think that your growth factor is wrong as well as you are taking an american value completely different environment and completely different species all together.

Your moisture comment makes no odd because peat boggy soils hold moisture and dont generally need topping up with rainfall. given that most of the felling work is at the top it won't make much difference as the plant species will take up the water given the dry condition (much like sand dunes)

Just because the lizards aren't there doesn't mean they all died, what you probably find is they moved into another suitable area.

CO2 emissions aren't really a point and case in an arguement when it is a very small impact in the environment the point in making of scotland is like you making a comment about upland soils, because the damage they do in scotland is much more damaging than removing a very small areas of trees on a common in worcestershire. Its a direct comparison.

The loss of some plants may happen yes, but you are forgetting that the grazing may encourage growth elsewhere off setting that which gets eaten.

As I said emptying the gulley of the trees means that reseeding cannot occur and more heathland plants can grow where they would be shaded out by the trees that grow there. (and the sheep and goats i mentioned was to argue your which beast could get up that slope)

The rspb would advice that but early August shows the time for breeding season ends in july but they always take a precautionary stance on the area, its prefectly safe to start felling trees at this time of the year.

TPO's are only relevant if a tree has a TPO on it where it has been specific order has been made its only added automatically in conservation areas, and SSSI's are not counted as they are under different legislation.

One major problem for the commom you have failed to mention is MAN. and by that i mean the users of the common as having walked round i've noticed the amount of man made erosion is a large problem. Large cutting made into small grassland areas near paths. Its something that needs solving and taking out trees is not going to make any difference to that