It is estimated that a total of 11.3 million green tonnes of roundwood was removed from UK woodlands in 2015. This represented a 6% decrease from the 2014 figure of 12.0 million green tonnes.

Softwood accounted for most (95%) removals from UK woodland and totalled 10.8 million green tonnes in 2015 (Table 2.1). This represented a 6% decrease on the previous year’s figure. Hardwood removals totalled 0.5 million green tonnes in 2015, a 1% decrease from 2014.

Private sector woodlands accounted for 57% of softwood production and 87% of hardwood production.

Source: Forestry Commission, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service, industry surveys, industry associations.

Notes:

1. FC: Forestry Commission (England, Scotland, and until March 2013, Wales), NRW: Natural Resources Wales (from April 2013), FS: Forest Service (Northern Ireland).

2. Private sector: removals from all other woodland (including some publicly owned woodland).

3. Most hardwood production in the UK comes from private sector woodland; the figures are estimates based on reported deliveries to wood processing industries and others.

Data: Longer time series of the above table, including estimates by country (England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland) are available from the Data Downloads webpage.

Within the 10.8 million green tonnes of softwood removed from UK woodlands in 2015, approximately 860 thousand green tonnes were removed as required by plant health legislation. This comprised around 720 thousand green tonnes from FC/NRW/FS woodland and around 140 thousand green tonnes from private sector woodland. The total of around 860 thousand green tonnes represents a 5% increase from the 2014 estimate of approximately 820 thousand green tonnes.

Softwood removals required by plant health legislation are expected to consist mainly of Japanese larch that is suspected of being infected by Phytophthora ramorum. However a small volume of species other than larch is likely to be included in these figures.

Statistics on the number of sites where a Statutory Plant Health Notice has been served in the UK, and the area required to be felled under these Notices, can be found in the Statutory Plant Health Notices section of Chapter 1.