In August 2005, exclusion nets were put up at three sites Glynllifon, Cilgoed, and Hayscastle. The netting used was a strong nylon 1.5cm gap mesh designed specifically to keep birds off particular areas and is widely used in horticulture (Figure 3.3). Although the effects of other seed predators in the UK (e.g. insects and mammals) are negligible (Robinson 1997), this mesh allowed other seed predators access so that only birds were excluded. Three nets were constructed at each site and the protected area under each net measured 25x1.5m. At the end of January 2006, the areas beneath the exclusion nets were sampled. From under each net, three Vortex samples, 3x 0.25m2 quadrats of vegetation and 3x soil samples (the top 1cm of soil from an area 20cm2) were taken. The same samples were taken from a nearby strip within the coppice with a similar vegetation composition from which