Pepperknowes, eastern felled wood

5.5 km east of Perth, 12 km south-west of Abernyte.

Grid references of points on the boundary:

1. 18795 22076

2. 18744 22061

3. 18694 21963

4. 18701 21837

5. 18722 21832

6. 18730 21835

7. 18737 21870

8. 18842 21945

9. 18797 22076

(Please view the photo album in Picasa when reading the notes below. The photo album also contains the plant species list. Please click the link in the right-hand column.)

This wood is situated in Pepperknowes Farm, Glencarse, Perthshire. It is one of two Spruce/Larch woods on the farm which were felled for commercial purposes in 2008. The hope is that the seed bank on the site will manifest itself as the habitat changes from woodland to scrub/heath/meadow. These notes are therefore base-line observations taken when the area was cleared of timber. Brushwood has been left lying over the whole site. There has been aggressive pioneering of the site by Nettle, Dog’s Mercury, Yorkshire Fog, Bracken and Foxglove. Some Foxgloves flowered this year but most notably the area is carpeted with Foxglove seedlings which will not flower in 2009. Non-flowering Elder seedlings are also abundant.

There is a rocky outcrop in the middle of the site. This had a Dandelion-like flower (recorded as a Hawksbeard) growing out of it. Yorkshire Fog was by far the most abundant grass throughout except on the heath type area on top of the outcrop where Sweet Vernal appeared to dominate, although possibly not all grasses here were identified at the time of writing.

Scarlet Pimpernel was found at the edge of the former wood, where it meets a cultivated field.

An Orange Tip butterfly (Anthocaris cardamines) was seen in the vicinity.