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Table 1.6 presents the area of conifers, broken down by age class, ownership and country. 

Sixty-one percent of the coniferous woodland area in Great Britain was occupied by stands of 40 years old or younger (Table 1.6). A further 9% of stands were aged over 60 years.

Table 1.6 Stocked woodland area in GB by ownership and age class: Conifers

Age class (years)  England Wales Scotland GB
thousand hectares    
FC/NRW1    
0-20 33 24 76 134
21-40 38 25 145 208
41-60 39 25 111 176
61-80 12 7 25 44
81-100 4 1 6 11
100+ 1 0 3 4
All age classes 128 82 367 576
Private sector2    
0-20 17 8 126 151
21-40 54 22 231 306
41-60 83 15 116 214
61-80 19 1 18 38
81-100 3 2 6 11
100+ 3 1 9 12
All age classes 179 47 505 732
Total    
0-20 51 32 202 285
21-40 92 46 376 514
41-60 123 39 227 389
61-80 31 8 43 82
81-100 7 2 12 22
100+ 3 1 12 16
All age classes 307 129 872 1308

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

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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