The UK Forestry Standard – summary checklist

Practising sustainable forestry means managing our forests in a way that meets our needs at present, but that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. They will rightly expect that their forests and woodlands offer at least the same benefits and opportunities as we enjoy today. To sustain these expectations, […]

Pine pitch canker – Pest Alert

Pine pitch canker, also known as pitch or pitch pine canker, is a serious canker disease of pines and Douglas fir caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum. The disease affects trees in planted forests, nurseries, parks and gardens. In plantations, the disease leads to reduced growth and cone yield and can kill trees. It will […]

Ecological impacts of ash dieback and mitigation methods

Ash is a widespread species which makes a substantial contribution to many landscapes. Ash trees are affected by ash dieback, a disease caused by a fungus. It is clear from the European experience of the disease that a significant number of ash trees could be lost from woodlands in the UK over the course of […]

The UK Forestry Standard 2017

The UK governments have set out their requirements for sustainable forest management in the UK Forestry Standard. Available both as ePub and PDF.

Assessing the stem straightness of trees

Stem straightness is important in determining tree and log value. The ability to make an effective assessment before harvesting is useful for forest managers and practitioners to improve forecasting, planning, marketing and resource use. This Technical Note describes three methods for assessing stem straightness in standing trees: visual assessment, photogrammetric measurement and terrestrial lidar. It […]

Implications of lowland broadleaved woodland management for the conservation of target bird species

This research consisted of a literature review and field study which investigated woodland management for birds within lowland broadleaved woodlands in Britain. The research considered the effect of woodland management (silvicultural intervention and control of deer browsing) on vegetation structure, and the relationships between vegetation structure and woodland birds. Based on habitat–bird relationships, a classification […]

Valuing the social and environmental contribution of woodlands and trees in England, Scotland and Wales

Woodlands and trees have a wide-ranging role in the economy, but this is often under-valued in conventional economic indicators. For example, woodlands deliver social and environmental benefits – such as outdoor access, biodiversity and carbon sequestration – which are largely unpriced in economic transactions but which have important impacts on the economy and on society’s […]

Valuing the social and environmental contribution of woodlands and trees in England, Scotland and Wales

This Research Note is based on a review by the University of Exeter that evaluated existing knowledge on valuing the social and environmental contributions of British trees and woodlands. It starts by bringing together different (but related) economic terms and concepts in a single framework for understanding how trees and woodlands contribute to economic well-being, […]

Delivery of ecosystem services by urban forests

This Research Report looks at a broad range of urban forest-based ecosystem services and disservices and, using a literature review, links their provision with four aspects of urban forests (physical scale, physical structure and context in terms of location and proximity to people and land use and ownership). A key objective of this report is […]

An easy guide to forest trees and their uses

This Guide lets you find out more about the trees found in the forests and woodlands of Great Britain.

Timber properties of noble fir, Norway spruce, western red cedar and western hemlock grown in Great Britain

The softwood processing sector in Great Britain has been built around the use of a very small number of timber-producing species – predominantly Sitka spruce. The recent increase in outbreaks of host-specific tree pests and diseases has led to an interest in diversification, through planting a wider range of tree species, to mitigate any risk […]

The implications of upland conifer management for breeding birds

Stand structure is an important determinant of habitat quality for forest biodiversity and is influenced by management. In conifer plantations, the varied structure created within a stand by continuous cover forestry (CCF) systems has been expected to be better for woodland birds than the range of discrete stand structures created through rotations of clearfelling and […]