Conserving the genetic diversity within our tree species and the processes that determine it are important for sustainable forest management and increasing the resilience of Britain’s forests and woodlands. The genetic diversity within a tree species at any one time is the result of many dynamic processes, and it provides the source for future adapted […]
The regeneration of brownfield land to green space can deliver multiple benefits to society and the environment through improvements in the quality of a site and its surrounding landscape. Successful delivery of regeneration projects is dependent on the planning of project delivery and on good project management. This Practice Note describes the process of brownfield […]
Forests and woodlands bring wide-ranging and diverse benefits to people in Scotland. They are ideal places for people of all ages to participate in leisure, recreation and sports. However, forests are also workplaces. Forestry is an important part of the rural economy, and the production of timber provides revenue for landowners and jobs for the […]
Golden eagles are primarily birds of open mountain country but they can use open woodland habitats and may benefit from prey species which use woodlands. In 2010 a suite of six new Special Protection Areas (SPAs) covering 360,000 ha were designated by the Scottish Government for the conservation of golden eagles, adding to the existing […]
The oak processionary moth is a serious forestry pest that is capable of causing complete defoliation of oak trees. Its caterpillars are also a hazard to health. Breeding populations of the moth were discovered for the first time in the UK in London in 2006 and these initial infestations have since spread and the moth […]
Everyone involved in forestry work has health and safety duties and responsibilities. This Practice Note provides guidance to help landowners, forest managers and forestry practitioners manage public safety on harvesting sites. Forest operations are high-risk activities, and the management issues involved in harvesting and hauling timber while maintaining public access to forests and woodlands can […]
Over 90% of the Sitka spruce planted in Britain today is from ‘improved’ planting stock, which is predicted to produce around 25% more timber at final rotation, compared with material imported from the Pacific North West. Forest managers have a choice of improved stock: seedlings raised from seed collected in orchards established around 25 years […]
The great spruce bark beetle is found in forests throughout continental Europe. It damages spruce trees by tunnelling into the bark of the living trees to lay its eggs under the bark. The developing larvae feed on the inner woody layers, which weakens, and in some cases may kill, the tree. The beetle was first […]
Stronghold forests are large areas of coniferous and mixed forest identified as having the potential to sustain resilient and healthy populations of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) over the long-term.
White-tailed eagles (sea eagles) were re-introduced to Scotland from the 1970s and there are now over 50 breeding pairs. They frequently nest and roost in woodlands and tend to use habitual nest sites. The species has a high degree of legal protection, and woodland managers need to plan operations carefully to avoid disturbing the birds […]
Dense natural regeneration of Sitka spruce and other conifers is an increasingly common feature of both recently clearfelled sites and stands managed under continuous cover forestry in upland forests of the British Isles. This regeneration can be managed by combining natural self-thinning in the early stages of stand establishment with management intervention to cut access […]
Oak trees in Britain have long suffered from dieback and decline disorders, but a disease called acute oak decline has been causing particular concern since the first few years of the 21st century. A typical symptom of the disease is dark, sticky fluid bleeding from small cracks in the bark on the trunk of the […]
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