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Table 1.8 presents the area of conifers, broken down by principal species, ownership and country.

Sitka spruce accounts for around one half (51%) of the conifer area in Great Britain (Table 1.8), followed by Scots pine (17%) and Larches (10%). Sitka spruce is less dominant in England, accounting for just one quarter (26%) of the conifer area there.

Table 1.8 Stocked woodland area in GB by ownership and principal species: Conifers
Principal species England Wales Scotland GB
thousand hectares
FC1
Sitka spruce 49 50 225 323
Scots pine 17 2 45 64
Corsican pine 27 2 2 30
Norway spruce 7 5 11 23
Larches 10 12 26 48
Douglas fir 10 5 5 20
Lodgepole pine 4 3 49 56
Other conifers 5 3 3 11
All conifers 128 82 367 576
Private sector2
Sitka spruce 32 27 282 341
Scots pine 45 1 109 154
Corsican pine 14 0 1 15
Norway spruce 21 3 15 38
Larches 30 8 39 78
Douglas fir 15 3 7 25
Lodgepole pine 3 1 39 44
Other conifers 19 2 8 29
All conifers 179 47 505 732
Total
Sitka spruce 80 77 507 665
Scots pine 61 3 154 218
Corsican pine 40 2 3 46
Norway spruce 27 8 25 61
Larches 40 20 66 126
Douglas fir 25 9 12 46
Lodgepole pine 8 4 88 100
Other conifers 24 5 11 40
All conifers 307 129 872 1 308

Source: National Forest Inventory: 50-year forecast of softwood availability (Forestry Commission, April 2014).

Notes:

1. FC: Forestry Commission (England, Scotland and Wales).

2. Private sector: all other woodland. Includes woodland previously owned/managed by the Countryside Council for Wales and the Environment Agency in Wales, other publicly owned woodland (e.g. owned by local authorities) and privately owned woodland.

3. Stocked area only: excludes felled areas and (for private sector land) open space.

4. Areas at 31 March 2012.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics

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