What happens to areas that have been cleared of trees?

In almost every instance, forests which have been felled for their timber value are replanted the following spring. One notable exception is where the former forest was considered intrusive on the landscape, and a decision not to replant may then be appropriate.

As with the establishment of new forests, current conservation and landscaping principles can be applied to the next crop. A real opportunity exists for todays forester to redesign the forest using the skills that have been learnt in the period since the original crop was planted, in most cases more than forty years ago.

Similar site preparation and planting techniques are used for re-establishment as for the creation of new forests. Site preparation followed by planting is usually the most popular method. However, a greater use can be made of natural regeneration, because the felled area is often surrounded by mature crops, so an acceptable seed source may therefore be readily available.

Although a clearfelled site can appear very unattractive, the recolonisation of vegetation usually takes place in the first or second year after felling. Some species of conifer and broadleaf permit the growth of a ground flora under a maturing forest, and after clearfell there continues to be a thick carpet of ground vegetation.

Although it may be some time, before parts of a forest are felled, a redesign plan has been prepared for every forest we own. These plans ensure that due consideration is given to the forest as a whole, before decisions on where to plant and what species to plant with, are taken. One of the aims of the new design is to transform the current even aged forest, into a forest of increased biodiversity, by increasing its range of species, age and habitat. A network of wildlife corridors consisting of open space and native scrub, following natural landforms, such as watercourses and rocky outcrops, will greatly enhance the environmental value of our future upland coniferous plantations.