Upgrading Seed Lots of European Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) using Imbibition-Drying-Separation

How effective is imbibition-drying- separation? European silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) produces good seed crops every three to five years, but these crops often have a high proportion of empty seeds. In many tree species, the empty and insect-infested seeds are removed during processing and cleaning of seed lots. However, this is only possible if filled […]

Managing open habitats in upland forests

The proportion of open space in many forests and woodlands is increasing as forest management plans are implemented and forests are restructured. Landowners and forest managers are increasingly being encouraged to manage this ground for biodiversity objectives but in some situations the management of open ground may be more complex and challenging than the management […]

Behavioural policy ‘nudges’ to encourage woodland creation for climate change mitigation

Evidence indicates that woodland creation is generally a cost-effective method of climate change mitigation, when compared with a range of alternatives. However, engaging landowners and land managers in woodland creation schemes can sometimes prove difficult, and this affects prospects for meeting national woodland planting targets and associated climate change mitigation objectives. Although reluctance to plant […]

Behavioural policy ‘nudges’ to encourage woodland creation for climate change mitigation

Evidence indicates that woodland creation is generally a cost-effective method of climate change mitigation, when compared with a range of alternatives. However, engaging landowners and land managers in woodland creation schemes can sometimes prove difficult, and this affects prospects for meeting national woodland planting targets and associated climate change mitigation objectives. Although reluctance to plant […]

We have stopped moving: Tackling physical inactivity – a role for the Public Forest Estate in England?

This briefing note outlines evidence on the role of the Public Forest Estate in helping to tackle physical inactivity. It draws on research into the health benefits of forests and also greenspace and green infrastructure in which trees are often an important or key component. It argues that the Public Forest Estate in England is […]

Design techniques for forest management planning

Forest management plans are the key reference documents for monitoring and assessing forests and forestry practice in Britain. They define and communicate forest and woodland management proposals, set out how sustainable forest management is to be achieved and describe the consequences of management activities over time. Forest management planning involves assembling and integrating a wide […]

Forestry Facts & Figures 2014

This booklet contains a summary of statistics about woodland and forestry.Please note – the printed version of this document is an A2 sheet folded to A6. The PDF of the document is set to print at A3 therefore some of the pages will appear upside down.

Phytophthora austrocedri – Pest Alert

Phytophthora austrocedri (previously spelled austrocedrae) is an aggressive, fungus-like pathogen that poses a serious threat to juniper trees in Britain. Juniper is an important native species and a significant proportion of the small area of juniper woodland in Britain is protected. Phytophthora austrocedri was first reported in the UK in 2011, and infected trees have […]

Forest Seedlings: A guide to the identification of tree and shrub seedlings in Britain

The ability to accurately identify tree and shrub seedlings is invaluable to anyone with an interest in forests and woodlands and it is fundamental to practical woodland management. However, identifying seedlings in their first year of growth is not as straightforward as identifying adult trees and shrubs, as they are often strikingly different in appearance. Forest […]

Managing forests in acid sensitive water catchments

Atmospheric pollution in the form of acid deposition has been dramatically reduced since international controls on emissions were introduced in the 1980s. However, acidification still affects acid-sensitive regions of the UK, damaging fisheries and causing adverse ecological changes in freshwaters. Forestry is known to influence the degree of acidification, principally due to the ability of […]

Horse chestnut bleeding canker

Horse chestnut is an important amenity tree species which has been significantly affected over the past decade by a widespread outbreak of bleeding canker disease. Symptoms include rust-coloured or blackened bleeding cankers on the stem and branches, which can lead to tree mortality. The causal agent of this disease is the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae […]

[Archive] Forestry Commission Annual Report and Accounts: England and Central Services 2013 – 2014

The report is available to download here or to buy in hardcopy from The Stationery Office (TSO) (Phone: 0870 600 5522; www.tsoshop.co.uk)