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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Stuart Gillespie

Castle-Douglas based forestry consultant backs report claiming mature woodlands are vital to climate change fight

A new report claims that mature woodlands are more important to the fight against climate change than previously thought.

The study, published in the Journal of Ecological Solutions and Evidence, claims that forests in the UK lock away twice as much carbon as had previously been thought to the case.

Castle Douglas-based head of forestry for Davidson and Robertson, Keith Muir, said: “Speak to a forester and they will tell you that all forests need to be managed to reach their full potential and ensure succession.

“That is as important for long term woodland as it is for the mass planting of coniferous forests which have become such a large part of today’s forestry industry.

“Coniferous forests provide a massive amount of timber into our construction industry and small roundwood markets for things like roof trusses, sterling board, MDF, pulp and biomass.

“They are also amazing at soaking up carbon dioxide at a far faster rate than broadleaf trees in their earlier years. Many would argue that coniferous forests are a key to reducing our carbon dioxide within the time scales we need, but their life cycle means they are only there for up to 60 years before they are removed, and the land replanted with the next crop.

“This latest report from the Journal of Ecological Solutions is good news for those with native or old growth broadleaf woodlands and goes some way to burst the myth that these woodlands have less value.

“The research clearly vindicated what foresters have known for years, that these mature woodlands are far more important in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss than they had previously thought.

“Our mature broadleaf woods are a tremendous vault of biodiversity and carbon sync, as well as a major source of strong timber. They have been overlooked by landowners who may see them as a scenic backdrop to their estates - that is certainly not the case now.

“At Davidson and Robertson we are proactively creating long-term forest plans that map out when, how and what needs to be done within the woodland area for up 75 years with reviews done at five-year intervals.”

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