Global InformationForestry in the United Kingdom information
The United Kingdom,[Notes 1] being in the British Isles, is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. In the absence of people, much of Great Britain would be covered with mature oaks, except for Scotland. Although conditions for forestry are good, trees face threats from fungi, parasites and pests.[1] Nowadays, about 13% of Britain's land surface is wooded. European countries average 39%, but this varies widely from 1% (Malta) to 66% (Finland).[2][3][4][5][6] As of 2021, government plans call for 30,000 hectares to be reforested each year. Efforts to reach these targets have attracted criticism for planting non-native trees, or trees that are out of place for their surroundings, leading to ecological changes.[7]
The UK's supply of timber was depleted during the First and Second World Wars, when imports were difficult, and the forested area bottomed out at under 5% of Britain's land surface in 1919. That year, the Forestry Commission was established to produce a strategic reserve of timber.
Of the 31,380 square kilometres (12,120 sq mi) of forest in Britain, around 30% is publicly owned and 70% is in the private sector.[Notes 2] More than 40,000 people work on this land. Conifers account for around one half (51%) of the UK woodland area, although this proportion varies from around one quarter (26%) in England to around three quarters (74%) in Scotland.[8] Britain's native tree flora comprises 32 species, of which 29 are broadleaves.
The UK's industry and populace uses at least 50 million tonnes of timber a year. More than 75% of this is softwood, and British forests cannot supply the demand; in fact, less than 10% of the timber used in Britain is home-grown. Paper and paper products make up more than half the wood consumed in Britain by volume.[3][9][10]
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- ^ Hart 1994, p.68
- ^ "39% of the EU is covered with forests". Eurostat. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ a b Forestry Facts and Figures 2014: A Summary of Statistics about Woodland and Forestry in the UK (PDF). Forestry Commission. 2014-01-01. ISBN 9780855389147. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ^ Nix et al. 1999, p. 2
- ^ Nix et al. 1999, p. 93
- ^ Rural Focus: Forestry Policy, Estates Gazette, 28 July 2012, pages 56-57.
- ^ "Row over UK tree-planting drive: 'We want the right trees in the right place'". TheGuardian.com. 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Forestry Statistics 2019, Chapter 1 - Woodland area and planting". Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^ Nix et al. 1999, p. 94
- ^ Hart 1994, p. 1