9165 - BM Outlook 2022 R6 - Flipbook - Page 13
Choosing the right species
A common headache is what species to choose when replanting. One important
consideration when looking at different species is what pests and diseases may affect
your choice. The table below gives some guidance.
Pine Red Needle Blight Badly affected some stands of Corsican Pine, though
regular thinning to help airflow can reduce its impact.
Edward Cheevers
Chalara
Ash die-back
Sadly this disease has spread very quickly with little evidence of any
natural resistance. Felling of Ash trees showing signs of disease is
necessary when in high risk areas, such as those in close proximity
to the public, as the trees become weak and hazardous.
Phytophthora
Disease mainly affecting Larch but can be a threat to other species
such as Douglas Fir.
Grey Squirrels
Important to keep numbers in check for all species but especially
important in broadleaf woodlands.
Spruce Bark Beetle
Problem in Norway and Sitka Spruce – surged recently in midSussex and Kent.
Associate,
Pulborough
With the price of, and demand for,
timber increasing steadily as the
world looks to a more sustainable
future, woodland owners need to
ensure they are taking advantage
of the opportunities on offer.
As a building material, and fuel source,
timber is a valuable commodity. New
grants due to become available under
the Environmental Land Management
Scheme (ELMS) will place a strong
focus on long-term, large-scale planting
schemes designed to lock up carbon.
Increasing prices
Prices for timber are rising for a variety
of reasons, not least the demand for
home grown timber as a sustainable and
renewable building material, and because
of the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on
timber imports.
With modern methods of construction
often featuring pre-made timber frames,
the demand from the building industry for
quality material is set to continue. With
imports still proving difficult, domestic
production is benefitting.
10 | Outlook
Are your woodlands working
for you?
While the market for timber remains
strong, there are nonetheless threats to
the South East’s forests and woodland.
Conflicting demands on land use is one
issue, with development, food security,
tackling climate change and improving the
environment all adding to the competition.
Climate change is altering weather
patterns and causing more droughts,
wildfires, extreme rainfall and flooding, all
of which can pose a threat to an industry
that has generally felt itself able to weather
the storm because of its well-spaced
rotations and steady markets.
One way forward for those managing
woodlands and forestry will be to increase
resilience, ensuring a broad age range of
stock, a diverse range of species and, in
some cases, adding alternative crops to
spread the business risk.
Woodland owners could consider adding
in faster maturing species, such as willow
for cricket bats, if conditions allow, while a
broad age range of tree stocks will mean
being able to harvest different parcels
across successive years and allow a
more dynamic response to the market.
ELMS will provide grant support for large-scale tree planting schemes
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