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The area of woodland in the UK at 31 March 2017 is estimated to be 3.17 million hectares (Table 1.1). Of this total, 1.4 million hectares (45%) is in Scotland, 1.3 million hectares (41%) is in England, 0.3 million hectares (10%) is in Wales and 0.1 million hectares (4%) is in Northern Ireland.

Conifers account for around one half (51%) of the UK woodland area, although this proportion varies from around one quarter (26%) in England to around three quarters (74%) in Scotland.

Table 1.1 Area of woodland by ownership & forest type at 31 March 2018

Forest type and ownership 1,2  England  Wales Scotland Northern Ireland UK
thousand hectares
Conifers          
FC/NRW/FS woodland 151 98 429 56 733
Private sector woodland 189 53 632 11 885
Total 340 151 1061 66 1618
Broadleaves5          
FC/NRW/FS woodland 63 19 40 7 130
Private sector woodland 903 137 338 39 1418
Total 967 156 378 46 1547
Total          
FC/NRW/FS woodland 214 117 470 62 863
Private sector woodland 1092 190 970 50 2303
Total 1306 307 1440 112 3166

      

Source: Forestry Commission, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service, National Forest Inventory.

Notes:

1. FC: Forestry Commission (England and Scotland), NRW: Natural Resources Wales, FS: Forest Service (Northern Ireland). NRW estimates only relate to woodland formerly owned/managed by FC 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. Figures for England, Wales and Scotland are based on data obtained from the National Forest Inventory (NFI) and adjusted for new planting, but at present no adjustment is made for woodland recently converted to another land use. Further information on how the figures have been estimated is available in the Sources chapter.

4. Figures for Northern Ireland are obtained from the Northern Ireland Woodland Register.

5. Broadleaves include coppice and coppice with standards.

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