Blackmac wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 6:55 am
Dogbert wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2024 11:41 pm
Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Apr 11, 2024 5:29 pm
From what I understand a lot of the grants have been provided to plant native species which are not exactly best suited for our needs.
In short No
So the Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) supports (bribes ) woodland creation & woodland improvement and sustainable management of existing woodlands, which you are paying for through your taxes
For simplicity the Scheme can be split into two main parts Productive (commercial) woodland with main subsets ( there are also regional differences for Northern & Western Isles as an example
Commercial for Timber Production
Productive conifer woodland
Conifer Sitka Spruce Woodland for Timber Production
Diverse Conifer Mixed Species Conifer Woodland for Timber Production (other than Sitka Spruce)
Productive broadleaf or productive mixed conifer and broadleaf woodland
Broadleaf Woodland for Timber Production
Small or Farm Woodland* Small-Scale Mixed Broadleaf and Conifer Woodland
Non Commercial
Native woodland
Native Broadleaves- creating Native Broadleaf Woodland
Native Scots Pine- Creating Native Pinewood
Native Upland Birch - Creating Upland Birch Woodland
Generally speaking the commercial forestry attracts higher payment rates - Conifers /diverse conifers / Broadleaves all attract higher rates than Native woodlands – with Farmers for their small forest Agroforestry getting supported (bribed) with the highest rate ( excluding some regional differences )
As an example for your bog standard monoculture Sitka spruce ( your Foresters Bread & Butter tree of choice ) the initial planting payment rate £1920/ha, for your Native Upland Birch , that falls to initial planting payment rate £560/ha, - and there are annual maintenance payments on top of that – but roughly the same differential applies
Now yes , there are probably a significant number of FGS granted to your Native woodland – but the hectarage is minute compared to the commercial woodland, now these non commercial woodland is really very important for so many reasons , but not much you your tax dollar is paying for it
A short extract from that paper.
"Growing more of our own wood is vital to reduce imports, improve the balance of payments, reduce pressure on the world’s remaining natural forests, and to create a sustainable resource that generates wealth and employment, particularly in rural areas.
We are moving towards a scenario where we increasingly use our land for non-productive conservation tree planting while importing the huge quantities of wood products that we need from elsewhere in the world, itself creating a significant ‘carbon footprint’ through shipping. Growing more of our own timber would improve domestic balance of payments (imports of wood products to the UK cost £11 billion in 2022) and create a sustainable resource that generates wealth and employment, particularly in rural areas.
Despite having had a policy for more than 100 years to decrease the country’s dependence on imported wood by increasing the forest area, in practice the proportion of forested land area in Scotland has only increased by about 15% in that time. For the last 40 years much of that increase has been non-commercially productive native woodland. Scotland’s Forestry Strategy provides for increasing Scotland’s forest area by 200,000 hectares by 2032. However, in 2022, 65% (4100 hectares) of the 6300 hectares of bare land planted in Scotland, were planted with native broadleaved tree species. Based on these figures, during the next nine years, 130,000 hectares will be planted with native tree species that will never produce significant quantities of usable timber...and it doesn’t stop there. Scotland’s long-established productive coniferous forests, frequently derided by conservationists, are also impacted by the rewilding paradigm. One fifth of the area of productive conifers that were felled in 2022 was replanted with predominantly unproductive broadleaved tree species further reducing our ability to produce the timber that we need in the future."
I'm far from an expert in this, but in laymen's terms that indicates that 65% of new forest is being given over to no productive species and replanting of commercial forestry is potentially being reduced by 20% year on year. That's hardly good given the issues we face.
There was actually a BBC Scotland documentary recently, possibly Labdward, which focused on exactly this issue, however from a positive point of view, and they firmly attributed the increase to SG policy encouraging these species.
OK - there is a lot to discuss ( if anyone is interested ) so I will attempt to tackle some of the points raised - as far as my own Knowledge extends
Yes there was indeed a pretty powder puff piece regarding the planting native Broadleaf trees in an episode of Landward ( always nice to see what chunky sweaters Dougie Vipond is modelling ) – but time is limited in these sort of programmes, so the reasons why we plant what is planted is often not explained well ( if at all) – Silviculture is very much about planting the right tree , in the right place for the right reason
Let me see if I can provide a bit more context in relation to planting in Riparian Zones in Scotland
We plant native broadleaf trees along these zones to help with climate change and biodiversity, creating robust wildlife corridors that are not felled for timber.
Shade: broadleaf trees offer just the right amount of shade over the water. This not only provides shade for the fish but also helps prevent water temperatures from increasing. The rise in water temperatures across Scotland is expected to negatively affect freshwater fish, such as salmon, as they spawn in our rivers.
Nutrients: when broadleaf trees shed their leaves in autumn, some of them will end up in the water. These leaves will eventually decompose, adding essential nutrients into the water's soils, helping to support richer aquatic invertebrate communities. Our rivers and burns typically lack nutrients, so this is key to having healthy water systems. Conifers are the worst possible option as not only do the needles provide little nutrition , they also increase the acidification within the water.
Bank stabilisation: tree roots can help provide structure to riverbanks, helping prevent erosion. Fine root biomass is 6.5 times higher in European beech than in Scots pine forests.
Carbon: while these long-lived woodlands can be slower at capturing carbon, they will become effective carbon stores over time, as both trees and the more stable soils grow.
Flooding: though conifers are the real flood management powerhouses, natural broadleaf woodland around rivers will also play its part. Trees absorb water through their leaves, roots, and bark and create grooves in the ground that slows water flow.
Freshwater fisheries and associated expenditure such as salmon angling, accommodation and tourism are worth almost £80 million a year to the Scottish economy. However, the number of adult salmon returning to Scotland is in decline, and 2018 was the lowest recorded rod catch since records began in 1952. It is therefore important that salmon habitats are protected and improved where possible.
River temperature is a critical control on Atlantic salmon populations which are adapted to live in relatively cool water. Salmon tend to prosper when temperatures are in the teens and struggle much above 20°C. Where river temperatures exceed 23°C this can cause thermal stress and behavioural change. At 33°C salmon can no longer survive, even for a few minutes.
During the summer of 2018, it is estimated that around 70% of rivers in Scotland experienced temperatures over 23°C. UK climate change projections provided by the Met Office indicate that summers like these could occur every other year by 2050, increasing concerns over the future of salmon in Scotland.
Scotland has around 108,000 km of rivers, of which only 35% are protected by any substantial tree cover.
So looking at some the issue with Atlantic Salmon
Smolt age depends on growth, which in turn depends on a number of factors including the temperature regime. The development of smolt characteristics is temperature dependent, as is the rate of loss of smolt characteristics (including the ability to make the transition to salt water) if migration is delayed or prevented. The timing of smolt migration is influenced by a number of factors including temperature. Early migration of salmon smolts in warm seasons may have consequences for marine survival.
Spawning only occurs within a limited temperature range, below 11.5°C for Atlantic salmon. Temperatures exceeding about 16°C may be associated with reduced migration in estuaries and rivers, with very little migration above about 20-23°C, but varying between rivers. Atlantic salmon delayed in estuaries in hot, dry summers may suffer significant mortality. Swimming ability (burst speed) is limited by low temperatures, resulting in reduced migration under cold conditions. The temperature experienced by adult female salmon in the months before spawning can affect gamete quality. Eggs produced by females kept at 22°C were smaller, less fertile and less viable than those produced by fish held at 18°C or below. Ovulation falters or fails in fish maintained at an elevated temperature, for example 4°C above ambient temperatures in one experiment.
Breeding with escaped farmed salmon threatens many wild populations and may weaken their ability to adapt to climate change.
Mortality due to lice from salmon farms is also of great concern. And a significant rising threat is the invasive Pacific pink salmon, which is spreading rapidly across northern Europe.
In Scottish salmon is the UK's largest single food export. Export sales for the calendar year totalled £581m, up by 5% year-or-year and equivalent to £1.6m every day. Norway is the highest exporter with eight billion U.S. dollars’ worth of salmon that year.
In short the correct trees were planted, for valid reasons – but its probably all pretty pointless in the long run as prognosis for Wild Atlantic Salmon is probably in a non-technical term is ‘Fucked’ for a myriad of reasons – not least the issues with commercial Salmon fish Farming - Might help other species like Brown Trout though