Planting & Harvesting Trees
The UK is unusual in how few forests we have and this lack of tree cover partly explains why we’ve become so reliant on importing wood from other countries, even though we have excellent conditions for growing quality trees for timber.
Why do we plant new wood-producing forests?
Planting trees provides the timber to make the wood products we all use. Forests also soak up carbon dioxide to help reduce the impact of climate change, support wildlife - and provide beautiful places for people to enjoy their free time. Forestry and wood processing adds £2 billion in value to the UK economy every year and supports around 90,000 UK jobs, according to official Government statistics.
A breakdown of jobs by each country is not available, but the latest figure for Scotland is more than 34,000 jobs.
I love trees and forests - but I don’t understand why some trees are cut down.
Trees can be cut down (harvested) for many reasons, for example because they are diseased or pose a danger to the public. The most common reason is to make wood products - from timber frames for new homes to fencing for homes and farms, kitchens, furniture and pallets.
We all use wood in our lives, and using more of it will help take more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - and reduce the use of building materials more harmful to the environment (like concrete, steel and brick). Timber, like wheat or potatoes, is a crop.
Don’t we have enough forests already?
Around 13% of land in the UK is covered in forests or woodland (19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 10% in England and 9% in Northern Ireland). The European Union average is 39%, according to official statistics from December 2023.
Many European countries still have a wood culture; planting trees to grow a crop of timber (like growing wheat or potatoes) is a normal part of rural life. This connection has largely been lost here as forests were cleared centuries ago for farming.
Currently, the UK imports 81% of the wood products we use - and that will continue to increase unless we plant more forests, as global demand for timber increases.
When forests are cut down, don’t they look really unattractive?
Like a field of wheat harvested in autumn, a newly cut-down forest can be unsightly. This is especially true of some forests planted in the 1980s that are now being harvested as all the trees were planted at the same time. Cutting down a large area of forest is called ‘clearfelling’.
This won't happen as often in future because forests planted since the 1990s have more of a mixture of species and different-age trees - and are being taken back from streams and roads to make the forest more attractive in the landscape.
When clearfell does take place, the new mixed woodland will regrow quickly and, with a greater diversity of species and ages, future harvesting will look less unsightly.
What happens to the forest after trees are harvested?
New trees will replace them and the cycle of grow, harvest and replant will continue – potentially forever. Unlike steel, concrete and bricks, it’s possible to keep producing more and more wood.
Steel and concrete don’t grow on trees, but wood does!
Do we plant trees to provide us with wood, or to tackle climate change?
Modern forests are planted for both economic and environmental reasons, as well as to support biodiversity and offer great places for people to visit.
Watch this short film by Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber - part of his Wood for The Trees series - which explains why we need to plant more forests, and the benefits we get from them.