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PRO Member Comment by Pip Howard on February 16, 2012 at 16:37

This is invaluable for anyone working with trees, includes a guide to Visual Tree Assesment (VTA):

Trees: Body language, Diagnosis, Biomechanics- an open door to a wo...

Comment by pete on February 9, 2012 at 20:50

PRO Member Comment by Pip Howard on January 6, 2012 at 15:20

The importance of 'Mother Trees' in fungi / tree root / forest ecosystems explained really well - http://blip.tv/the-university-of-british-columbia/do-trees-communic...

Comment by John Honeyman on June 22, 2011 at 12:24

I have had a look at the Scots Land strategy summary, and yes they seem to be heading in a better direction than the English, once again (thinking of students fees and old peoples provision here).

I have been striving (slow progress) as a coppiceman to develope coppicing as a  viable wood production system, that is a proven  sustainable, beneficial woodland management system. It is still in the realms of 'quaint' rural crafts, with many coppice workers scratching a living at best. I believe that where coppicing is a viable management option for a woodland, it needs to be profitable, as well, to ensure the woodlands long term future. There needs to also be a whole wood approach in designing the coppice system.

The time is right for a coppice resurgence - There is the FC woodfuel initiative, and numerous sources of grants to aid this development WIG's, WAG's, LEADER, Rural Development, Heritage Crafts, etc...  

Yet with all this grant aid, the message from above shows a distinct lack of real committment to improving and preserving our woodlands.

 

If sold off investors will sit on their valuable assets and/or use the grant system to add value to their aquisition, and if NGO's are in charge work will tend to be volunteer led and piecemeal - Rural skills will decline further. The forests will suffer

“In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upward mobile.”

Hunter S. Thompson

PRO Member Comment by Pip Howard on March 20, 2011 at 19:35

Its an impressive document and a huge step in the right direction. There are a lot of 'shoulds' in the language but it does embrace so much across the spectrum. When the English are currently having their forestry future decided by an 'independent panel' that has scant at best representation of the forestry or even land based industry in its entirety, it is almost ascertained that the Scots will now be the dominant voice from the British Isles across Europe and further and England will simply regress into having an NGO led voice whose primary motive at all times is funding the huge PR departments and large salaries for the executives. To steal a comment I heard elsewhere 'will the management of Englands land really be left up to granny and her bow saw on a sunday afternoon?'

Comment by Alba Trees on March 18, 2011 at 13:45

The new Land Use Strategy for Scotland is out, but is it really a strategy: http://bit.ly/ieFBNk

This is potentially the most important document to affect forestry in the UK for decades.  I was on the consultation phase of this document, and they have ammended it significantly since the draft, but do you think it can really deliver?  Where are the mechanisms and incentives?  It still reads like guidlines to me, which of course can be ignored!

Comment by Paysage Durable on February 8, 2011 at 17:56

Comment by Andrew Hugh Dixon on April 11, 2010 at 23:19

Looks like the union was slightly included, which has caused it to be weakened. As long as wood decay fungi dont get too strong a hold it shoud be OK from a physiological perspective. Mechanically the tree will now be weakened at that point, but becuase of its small size it should be able to compensate as it matures before it gets to too bit a size to pose a hazard.

Andy

Comment by pete on April 11, 2010 at 22:03

Thought probably so but thanks for the reassurance Pip.

PRO Member Comment by Pip Howard on April 11, 2010 at 21:29

That was a good deal - Great trees these, my father had a really old one in his garden, where a massive limb came down in a gale, much worse damage than this and tree didn't seem at all perturbed by it, They are naturally self brashing and although this is a little radical for that I assume they have a great mechanism for dealing with such problems.

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