Treacodactyl
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Forestry questionIn a local piece of woodland the owners have been thinning some of the trees. It looks like they've harvested some beech and ash trees and removed the logs. However, there were several trees where they have left them standing and cut into their bark all around the circumference, sometimes with a chain-saw and sometimes with and axe. The trees I noticed were sycamore and horse chestnut.
I assume they are trying to kill the trees and stumps to remove the non-native trees. However, I don't understand why they would leave the trees standing in what looks like a dangerous manor and wonder why they've done in. Other stumps have been cross cut, again I assume to kill the stump. Anyone have any ideas?
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tahir
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Ring barked? Maybe to get standing dead wood? A vital habitat for lots of species
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Shane
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Presumably perfectly legal too, as long as there is no danger of anything falling from their land onto an adjoining property?
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vickersdc
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Ring barkingHi there, I teach forestry and arboriculture and whilst I don't know the specific reasons as to why these woodland owners have ring-barked their trees - but it's a recognised way of killing the trees in a fairly slow and controlled manner due to the removal of the phloem (food transporting part) of the tree.
The tree will decay naturally over time, giving any wild insects / birds / etc. time to find a new home.
Hope that helps?
Cheers,
David.[/code]
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Treacodactyl
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Re: Ring barking | vickersdc wrote: | | Hi there, I teach forestry and arboriculture |
That could be very useful.  I hadn't thought about allowing the standing dead wood although there is a large amount of standing dead wood there already, mostly windblow. The woodland is also open to the public so I'm a little unsure they'd want more but perhaps it makes up for what's cleared out.
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