The Ashdown Forest - geography,land use and climate. River study field trip

The first 200 words of this essay...

Landscape

Geology

Ashdown Forest's landscape is greatly influenced by its underlying geology, which is mostly the sandstone and siltstone of the Ashdown Sands. When these stones combined with a local climate that is generally wetter, cooler and windier than the surrounding area owing to the Forest's elevation, rising from 200 feet (61 m) to over 700 feet (210 m) above sea level, give rise to sandy, largely podzolic soils that are characteristically acid, clay, and nutrient-poor. These poor, infertile soils have favoured the development of heath land, valley mires and damp woodland. These conditions have never favoured cultivation and have been a barrier to agricultural improvement, but they have favoured hunting activities, woodland industries and extractive industries.

Climate

Summer is the warmest time and best for walking cycling etc; winter months can be cold and a little damp. It is advisable to take a light coat if the weather looks a bit iffy, just to keep you dry if anything; when the wind blows it can get quite cold on the ridges, however most of the valleys and copses provide enough shelter. Average climate in winter as follows

Temperature

Throughout the month of November daytime