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Question 1

How do you chose what trees to plant?

Answer 1

• Choose management objectives
• Climate (rainfall, exposure to wind)
• Elevation
• Disease, vermin
• Soil (pH, drainage, type)
• Aspect

Question 2

Tell me about the process of planting trees?

Answer 2

• Bare root or cell grown 20 - 60 cm whips (evergreen will be bare root or small pots)
• Use tree guards or deer fence
• Plant approximately 2000 trees per hectare (end use will be 100 - 150 per hectare)

Question 3

What are the planting systems?

Answer 3

• High forest
  
  • even ages (all plannted or regenerated tgogether)
  • uneven aged (all ages from seedlings to mature are present)
• Low forest
  
  • Coppice
• Coppice and Standard

Question 4

What is meant by beating up?

Answer 4

Forestry term which refers to the replacement of newly planted trees which have died

Question 5

Name some management objectives?

Answer 5

• Primarily - often timber for best finaincail return, biomass
• Subsidiary - game/ conservation, biodiversity, recreation, enviornement (CO2)

Question 6

What is a critiical maintenace measure in the frst few years of planting?

Answer 6

Weeding to reduce competition for nutrients and mositure

Methods

1. Chemicals
2. Multch

Question 7

Describe the long term managemnt of plantations?

Answer 7

Once trees have established.

• Remove the guards as soon as they split and before they start to disintegrate (usually five to ten years after planting).
• Pruning: This is not essential but it will encourage trees to grow upwards rather than outwards once they’re established
• Thinning: This involves the felling of some of the planted trees to reduce the competition for light, water and nutrients. Trees develop a better shape, grow stronger and are less likely to blow over in adverse weather. (wind throw) Thinning wouldn’t usually occur until year ten at the earliest but it depends on how close together the trees were planted. Take 1/3 each time.

Question 8

What factors affect timber quality?

Answer 8

General lack of forest managment, specifically damage due to pests such as deer and squirrel

Question 9

What are the two methods of felling?

Answer 9

Clear fell or grandual felling

Question 10

When can softwood be felled?

Answer 10

Any time of year

Question 11

When should broadleaves be felled and why?

Answer 11

In the winter as sap has stopped rising

White hardwoods (beach, sycamore, ash are suseptable to staining if left too long in the round and felled in summer

From a conservation point of view, harvesting should avoid the nesting season, therefore some conflicts of interest can arrise

Question 12

What is another influence that may impact harvest timings?

Answer 12

Drainage, 8 wheel forwarder or horses could reduce ground damage

Question 13

What are the 4 ways to sell timber?

Answer 13

1. NEGOTIATION - the most common method of sale since interest in small lots of standing timber has declined. Advantages: It enables you to build a relationship with the customer so that they can understand your objectives and become a regular buyer. The amount of time spent presenting your sale will be greatly reduced. Disadvantages: No satisfactory way of assessing whether you are getting the best market price.
2. TENDER - traditionally the most common way to sell, it relies on having a parcel of timber that is attractive to several local buyers. Advantages: You can be reasonably assured of getting a good local market price. You retain a choice, selecting your customer for their care in felling, extraction and financial status. Disadvantages: Cost and length of time needed in presenting your sale. Likely to be a more protracted time-scale between the invitation to tender and contract signing.
3. AUCTION - popular when the economy favours a seller’s market. It is often used for large-scale sales of softwood. Advantages: Makes the very best of a seller’s market where large volumes and quality are assured. Disadvantages: Loss of control in the selection of your customer by selling to the highest bidder.
4. THE INTERNET Several options are open to the woodland owner. There are web sites that offer free advertising as well as sources of advice and information

Question 14

Timber sales, what is meant by standing?

Answer 14

STANDING when purchaser fells and extracts - A given area will be marked out or individual trees will be marked or numbered in your wood allowing prospective purchasers to carry out a valuation. Advantages: You have little involvement in the felling and extraction operation giving you a positive cash flow without having to pay contractors. Disadvantages: You have less direct control of the operation which may create problems on sensitive sites. It could also mean you miss opportunities to add value.

Question 15

Timber sales, what is meant by at stump?

Answer 15

AT STUMP Felling and extraction can be either by you or purchaser Advantages: This allows the buyer to see the butt end of the logs giving him more confidence in his valuation. Enables a price by grade to be established before felling and obtains an actual measurement on the ground, which normally gives you a better return. Disadvantages: A time consuming sale, needing an expert forester with a knowledge of all grades of timber. Not usually appropriate for low-grade broadleaves and seldom used in the sale of softwood

Question 16

Timber sales, what is meant by felled and extracted to roadside?

Answer 16

FELLED & EXTRACTED TO ROADSIDE Felling and extraction by you Advantages: Gives you direct control of operations, able to stop work due to adverse weather or site conditions. Makes use of local contractors known to you. Adds value to the sale and in some cases it will be the only way to make it possible to sell small, low-grade timber. Disadvantages: Requires more time, effort and knowledge from you or your agent. May incur negative cash flow by paying for harvesting before the sale of timber. Timber may degrade if you don’t sell within an appropriate time after felling.

Question 17

Timber sales, what is meant by devlivered?

Answer 17

DELIVERED Felled, extracted and delivered by you. Only likely to be used in large-scale operations of low-value softwood or small dimension pulp-wood in order to give maximum value

Question 18

Who provides woodland grants?

Answer 18

Mainly through CSS.

Woodland Trust

Question 19

What grants are currently available under Countryside Stewardship?

Answer 19

• Wodland Creation Grant, plus supporting Woodland Creation Maintenance Grant
• Woodland Management Plan Grant
• Woodland Tree Health Grant

Question 20

Can you tell me about the Woodland Creation Grant (WCG) and the supporting Woodland Creation Maintenance Grant?

Answer 20

Woodland Creation Grant (WCG): Countryside Stewardship standalone capital grant under Countryside Stewardship. Farmers and other land managers could apply for a 2 year works programme to plant and protect young trees.

Tree planting under TE4 and other associated capital items are one-off payments. The agreement ends once the final claim has been paid. Capital items must remain installed and in good condition for 5 years from the date of final payment.

Subject to eligibility, a supporting Woodland Creation Maintenance Grant of £200 per hectare for 10 years may also be available.

Before you can be invited to apply for this grant (through Higher Tier) you must have met the objectives of the woodland creation grant capital works agreement, and have had your final claim for that agreement approved.

Question 21

Can you tell me about the Woodland Management Plan Grant?

Answer 21

Woodland Management Plan Grant: Countryside Stewardship

Capital grant for farmers and land managers to produce a woodland management plan.

The grant is for financial support to produce a woodland management plan that meets UK Forestry Standard requirements, the plan must cover a minimum of 10 years

Question 22

Can you tell me about the Woodland Tree Health Grant?

Answer 22

Woodland Tree Health Grant: Countryside Stewardship

Capital grant for farmers and land managers to restock or improve woodland after tree health problems

The grant is for one-off payments towards the cost of:

• restocking woodland after a tree health problem
• felling diseased trees or rhododendron control

Question 23

Can you tell me about some Issues facing the industry?

Answer 23

• Demand for timber and wood is likely to rise in the UK in the future, largely because of the contribution it can make to delivering government policies on mitigation of climate change in particular demand for wood fibre for generating energy
• Competing pressures for land use, and in particular for agricultural production, will have to be met and balanced with maintaining and increasing vital ecosystem services.
• Climate change – future trees cedar of Lebanon, eucalyptus

Question 24

Can you tell me about some Threats facing the industry?

Answer 24

• Most serious disease threats to British woodland involve fungus. For conifers, the greatest threat is White Rot Fungus Dutch Elm Disease arises from two related species of fungi, spread by Elm Bark Beetles and acute oak decline has a bacterial cause. Another fungus, Nectria coccinea, causes Beech bark disease, as does Bulgaria polymorpha. Ash canker results from Nectria galligena or Pseudomonas savastanoi, and most trees are vulnerable to Honey Fungus. The oomycete Phytophthora ramorum (responsible for “Sudden oak death” in the USA) has killed large numbers of Japanese Larch trees in the UK. Larch canker, also kills lots of larch trees.
• Beetles, moths and weevils can also damage trees, but the majority do not cause serious harm. Notable exceptions include the Large Pine Weevil which can kill young conifers, the Spruce Bark Beetle which can kill spruces, and the Cockchafer which eats young tree roots and can kill in a dry season.
• Rabbits, squirrels, voles, field mice, deer, and farm animals can pose a significant threat to trees. Air pollution, acid rain, and wildfire represent the main environmental hazards

Question 25

Can you name some commercail broadleaf and conifer species?

Answer 25

_Broadleaf_ * Oak * Beech * Sycamore * Birch * Ash (no longer) _Conifer_ * Scots pine * Sitka spruce * Norway spruce * Larches * Douglas Fir

Question 26

Can you name some broadleaf amenity species?

Answer 26

* Plane * Lime * Oak * Beech * Chectnut * Cedar (not broadleaf)

Question 27

Can you tell me about different types of woodland?

Answer 27

* Small mixed woodlands comprised of both native and non-native tree species are found on many farms and private estates across the UK. These woodlands have been created to offer shelter for livestock or to enhance the landscape. They represent an important but often untapped timber resource. * Semi-natural woodlands are made up of broadleaved trees with areas of scots pine, yew and juniper. Native woodlands are of particular value to UK biodiversity, representing a range of UK BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan – priority habitats) supporting many important species. The creation of native woodlands has been the focus of woodland expansion schemes in recent years * Timber production and recreation are important uses of semi-natural woodland, but careful management is required to avoid conflict with wildlife interests. Ancient semi-natural woodlands are especially valuable plantation forests are predominantly made up of non-native coniferous species, often planted on economically marginal agricultural land. The commercial base of the UK forest industry relies heavily on Sitka spruce from North America. Scots pine is the only native conifer of economic significance

Question 28

What is the UK Forestry Standard?

Answer 28

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and its associated guidelines set a performance standard for this to be achieved. Woodland owners must comply with the UKFS to obtain approval under Environment Impact Assessment regulations, and to qualify for forestry grant schemes and felling licences. The UKFS identifies around 90 requirements e.g. the impact of forests and forestry on landscape, people, soils and water, and biodiversity

Question 29

What is sustainable forest management?

Answer 29

Sustainable forest management is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management has to keep the balance between three main pillars: ecological, economic and socio-cultural. Successfully achieving sustainable forest management will provide integrated benefits to all, ranging from safeguarding local livelihoods to protecting the biodiversity and ecosystems provided by forests, reducing rural poverty and mitigating some of the effects of climate change

Question 30

Legislation. When do you require a felling licence?

Answer 30

If you fell more than 2 cubic meters (tonnes) per 3 month period, if the wood is being sold, otherwise 5 cubic meters if for own use

Question 31

What protection do amenity trees (outside of woodland) have?

Answer 31

§Most trees outside woods have little protection beyond the requirement for a felling licence to fell trees over the minimum volume requirement, unless, for example, they host a bat roost which is protected by national and European legislation. Tree Preservation Orders are the principal way of permanently protecting trees of amenity value and have no geographic/ location or size limitation. Trees in Conservation Areas, which are designated for architectural or historic interest also have temporary protection

Question 32

There are a number of important EU directives, conventions and guidance, implemented through UK laws, which affect forestry practice. What are they?

Answer 32

* The Conservation of Wild Birds Directive which provides a framework for the conservation and management of wild birds in Europe. * The Habitats Directive which protects and monitors threatened habitats, identifies wild flora and fauna as European protected species, and controls developments that may affect them. * Forest Reproductive Material Directive on the marketing of forest reproductive material. * The Water Framework Directive which is designed to improve and integrate the way the water environment is managed throughout Europe. * The Environmental Liability Directive which seeks to achieve the prevention and remedying of environmental damage to habitats and species protected by EC law. It reinforces the ‘polluter pays’ principle – making operators financially liable for threats of or actual damage. * The European Landscape Convention (ELC) which provides a basis for closer co-operation in the planning, protection and management of landscapes and recognises that landscape has important cultural, ecological, environmental and social dimensions as part of sustainable development. * The Forestry Commission has a range of powers and duties under the 1967 Forestry Act and amendments.

Question 33

How do you measure a standing tree?

Answer 33

The most important dimension is its diameter at 1.3 M up the trunk. This position is known the world over as 'breast height' and the diameter as 'diameter breast height' or DBH for short. Foresters use tapes specially marked off to read diameter when placed around the trunk, but an ordinary tape measure is fine, just remember to divide the circumference (girth) by pi (3.142). If can hug tree has 1 tonne of timber

Question 34

What is ancient woodland?

Answer 34

Woodland that has been continuoulsy forested since 1600

Question 35

Whats the end use for the majoirty of softwood?

Answer 35

Sawmills Also wood based panels, pulpmills, woodfuel etc

Question 36

Whats the end use for the majoirty of hardwood?

Answer 36

Majority goes for woodfuel, Also to sawmills and other products

Question 37

Tell me about Tax for forestry?

Answer 37

Tax benefits to commercial woodland ownership. While this is not strictly regulation, it does influence land ownership decisions. For commercial woods, no Income or Corporation Tax is charged on the occupation of, or timber income from, the land and Capital Gains Tax is not payable on the gain in value of standing timber; only the increase in value of the underlying land is assessable. Non-commercial woods are subject to normal Capital Gains Tax rules. Commercial woodland also currently attracts 100 per cent business property relief from Inheritance Tax provided the transferor has owned the ‘relevant business property’ for a minimum of two years immediately before the transfer. There is no definition of commercial woodland. They are best described as woods which are ‘managed on a commercial basis with a view to the realisation of profits.’