Higher value timber can be sold into the sawlog or fencing market. Alternatively, it can be milled and used on the farm for construction or fencing.

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1 Why manage farm woodlands? Good woodland management can lead to both financial and environmental benefits for a farm business. For example, thinning woodland can produce fuel wood, which can be used on the farm or sold into the local firewood market. Thinning also improves the value of the standing trees as well as benefiting woodland biodiversity. With careful management, a farm woodland can provide enough fuel to supply the requirements of a biomass boiler, heating both the farm house and surrounding buildings. Timber chipped or split into logs can be used providing a cheaper and sustainable alternative to traditional heating fuels. Firewood. Higher value timber can be sold into the sawlog or fencing market. Alternatively, it can be milled and used on the farm for construction or fencing. Woodlands provide valuable shelter for stock and careful management will ensure this value is sustained. Providing suitable shelter can improve animal welfare, increasing productivity.

2 Whether timber is used on the farm or sold, woodland management provides employment opportunities, diversifies a farm income stream and increases the overall value of woodlands to the farmer. How valuable is my woodland? Woodland value is determined by many different factors. These include the size of the woodland, tree species, tree age, the straightness of the timber and the stocking density (trees/hectare). Assessing these factors can be difficult as an understanding of the local timber market, including current prices is necessary to formally value a woodland. In general terms for small woodlands stocking density, access and species are the three factors which will determine value. A small, inaccessible, low stocked woodland is of low value, whilst a well stocked woodland which is easily accessible and at least half a hectare in size could provide some useful benefits. These include shelter, timber and biodiversity value. Farm woodlands are often in locations difficult to access. Different tree species have different inherent values, both economically and environmentally. A mature stand of oak for example, is of much higher value than a spruce plantation environmentally and financially. The age of the trees will influence the value, however, this affects when the value is realised, not the ultimate value.

3 There are standard woodland measurement protocols which can be used to assess timber volume. These can be complex and are designed to value large conifer plantations. However, some of the basic principles can be applied to small woodlands. A Forestry Commission guidance report on timber measurement can be assessed by clicking this link: Estimating wood fuel potential. The environmental benefit of woodland is difficult to assess. It is easily lost through bad management but can be increased by good management. A bio diverse woodland of high value will contain numerous different species, a variety of tree ages and some open space and riparian zones. Single species plantations are often lower in biodiversity, however, they are not devoid of environmental benefit and management (such as thinning) can significantly improve environmental value. How to manage a farm woodland Like the management of any land, how a woodland is managed is entirely dependent on the objectives of the manager. There are numerous management options available, which can deliver several objectives. Choosing the right system will be guided by what the desired outcome is and influenced by the type of woodland (i.e. species, age, size etc.). The management choice has to be realistic and sustainable. There are sustainable forest management guidelines which govern UK forestry. These are the UK Forest Standard and the UK Woodland Assurance scheme. If a woodland has been under managed for a long time, the management choices might be limited. If the crop is suitable, thinning a woodland is often the best way to bring it into management. Thinning gives the remaining trees additional light and canopy space to develop. This will also allow more light to the woodland floor which will allow the development of an understory of different plant and shrub species. Choosing the right type of tree and the right number of trees to fell is essential to a successful thinning. The trees removed in a thinning are the dead, dying or suppressed trees. It is important not to remove too many trees in one thinning as this may destabilise the remaining trees, which could cause windblow when the next storm occurs. There is usually a break of between 5 and 10 years between each thinning operation, however, with farm woodlands, it is possible to thin annually with a reduced number of trees removed in each thinning.

4 It is important to think about how the trees which are removed during harvesting will be replaced before starting any woodland management. The two options available are using naturally regenerated seedlings or planting new trees (or a mixture of both). The standing trees will provide seeds which, if the conditions are right can create the next generation of trees. The management systems to facilitate this are called continuous cover systems. Detailed information on these systems can be found here. Replanting new trees in a woodland usually follows clearfelling. This is the most commonly used restocking method in the UK and is the easiest to ensure success. However, clearfelling does have the potential to have a significant impact on the woodland soil and hydrology. Harvesting your woodland Harvesting timber is not the end of woodland management but just one part of the whole process. However, considering the complexities involved with harvesting, there is significant focus placed upon it and the impact it can create. Every woodland has its own unique challenges for harvesting. However, there are several common problems which farm woodlands often have. These are access to the woodland, low stocking density, availability of suitable machinery and ground steepness.

5 Accessing farm woodland can be a significant constraint to harvesting. The difficulties can be in both getting to the woodland and in machinery operating in the woodland. Forwarding timber in the woodland requires careful planning. Brash mats (a mat of the harvesting debris which protects the ground from damage caused by machinery) must be constructed, steep slopes avoided and watercourses protected. A woodland with a low stocking density will produce much less brash than a well stocked woodland. This creates difficulties as there is less brash available to protect the soil. Forwarding timber from the woodland to a road suitable for timber lorries or to a storage location must be considered. In most cases, the construction of a hard road to access the woodland will be uneconomic. Therefore, timber has to be forwarded across farmland which can result in ground damage. Farm woodlands can often be isolated. Sourcing equipment suitable for harvesting in farm woodlands can be difficult. There has been a transformation of harvesting equipment since the early 1990 s as smaller machines have been replaced with large, highly mechanised and high output machines. For most farm woodlands, a forestry adapted tractor and a self loading trailer is sufficient.

6 A tractor and self loading trailer working in a farm woodland.. The Forest Research website contains a list of reports about small scale harvesting options. It can be accessed here: h ttp:// 7SUDZR Tree harvesting has potential risks, which must be managed. There are industry guides for all forestry operations which can be found on the HSE website. There are certificates of competence for all forestry equipment including chainsaws, which both LANTRA and NPTC provide. Processing and marketing timber products Timber harvested from farm woodlands will often not be of a large enough volume to attract timber buyers. Therefore, three options are available for harvested timber. These are: 1. Processing the timber for use on the farm. 2. Selling timber to local firewood merchants or small scale sawmillers. 3. Process timber and sell it as a finished product. Processing timber will significantly increase its value but will require additional equipment and expertise. Potential finished products include fencing material, low grade construction timber, fuel wood and wood chips for animal bedding. Additional treatment might be required, such as drying if the timber will be used for fuel wood or chemical treatment to protect the timber.

7 Firewood processor. Funding & legislation Funding for woodland management and timber processing equipment can be sourced through SRDP (Scottish Rural Development Programme). To protect Scotland s woodland cover, a felling licence is usually required to carry out any timber harvesting. Click here for felling licence details.