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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    
FC/NRW1        
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 1308

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

Notes:

1. FC: Forestry Commission (England and Scotland), NRW: Natural Resources Wales. 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. 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. For further information see the Sources chapter.

Additional resources

Sources chapter: Woodland Inventories

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