The site is partly a site of special scientific interest. It consists of both ancient woodland, relict heathland and plantation woodland. The woodland is freehold owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. It is 395 hectares in area and the second largest forest on the Isle of Wight. It is open to the public.
It is much used as recreational land and is a haven for wildlife including the Red squirrel and many species of bird such as garden warbler, nightjar, woodcock, green, great spotted woodpecker and long eared owl.
An industrial area is located off Forest Road within the Forest itself. Factories were located in this way during the Second World War to avoid German bombers. James I hunted deer in the forest. There are no longer any deer wild on the Isle of Wight.
Parkhurst Forest wallpapers
Parkhurst Forest wallpapers
Parkhurst Forest wallpapers
Parkhurst Forest wallpapers
Parkhurst Forest wallpapers
For the past 20 years or more deer have been living and breeding in the wild on the Isle of Wight.
ReplyDeleteRed and Roe deer are native to the area and occurred there naturally after the end of the last Ice Age.
When deer are present at low density such as they are on the Isle of Wight their light browsing and grazing has been shown to increase biodiversity and assist in preventing valuable woodland edge habitats reverting to scrub, whilst their droppings provide an environment for coprophagous invertebrates which bats such as the Greater Horseshoe feed on.