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The first step towards taking control of existing woodland is to categorise it according to its function. There are four main types of woodland: 1. Economic Woodland. These are specific areas, planted, managed and farmed with the intention of producing quality timber. 2. Amenity Woodland. This includes single trees planted for their beauty, belts of woodland planted to conceal an unwanted view such as farm buildings and clumps of woodland planted to enhance the landscape. The fact that these woodlands are required to be outwardly intact means that any felling must be staggered and replanting continuous. 3. Shelter. On some exposed properties belts of trees have been planted to provide shelter for land and/or buildings. Before any felling of trees takes place you must consider if this is the purpose for which they were planted. Trees take a long time to grow and shelter removed may well be regretted the instant the wind blows. 4. Shooting Coverts. These used to be planted simply to provide cover for game. Today this is quite uneconomic and new shooting coverts have to be planted with trees suitable to crop at some later stage. To fulfil the role of a covert, thought must be given not only to the size and shape of the wood but also to the layout (to provide rides and so on) and to ensure that the future work necessary in the wood will not interfere too much with the game. If you have to fulfil the dual role of woodsman and gamekeeper, you may find continual compromise a necessity. Different individuals performing the two roles will probably resort to the other alternative — argument. |