Jack Tenison who grows trees, both in Wales and at Lough Bawn in Co. Monahan is one of our real foresters and it is his open minded attitude to forestry and general plantation management that makes discussions with him so informative and thought provoking. At the recent Irish Timber Growers Association outing to Lough Bawn, Jack posed the question "Biodiversity; is it a public benefit or just a burden on the private landowner?"

Jack went on to ask if biodiversity is simply yet another burden thrown at the predominantly profitable species in Irish forestry, Sitka Spruce ? Or is it part of the economic, social and environmental basis of sustainability ? He asks is it right to set aside 20% or more of the forest area for public benefit but at private cost ? Or is biodiversity an integral part of profitable forestry management and the heart of growing good trees ?

The answer at Lough Bawn is to keep costs low by working with nature rather than against it, but of course, this may not suit all plantations.

Lough Bawn is a fine and scenic estate, continuously planted since 1820 and well known for the quality of its soft and hardwood timber and the beauty of its lakeside setting. It is the current winner of the RDS forestry award for biodiversity so Jack must certainly be getting things right in that area of management.

Jack is clearly a committed environmentalist but he is also a practical forester and he continually questions the current aims of covering Ireland with hardwoods if they are not going to pay. He has achieved a real return of 8 % per annum from Sitka without including in his calculations any premium or grant benefits because, as he says, grants and premiums only distort the real picture. Now 8% is a good return on money by any standards and Jack has achieved it by practising forestry with minimal inputs of chemicals and sprays.

One of the reasons, he feels, why his low input systems work is the rich variety of habitat and species present at Lough Bawn. He recently established a conifer crop without using any of the standard chemical precautions against Pine Weevil and this astonished some of the foresters present who have all seen the appalling damage that this pest can do to young trees. One forester stated that not dipping the young trees was verging on being foolhardy and Jack agreed that it was a risk but happily he got away with it.

The richness of biodiversity could have been responsible for the natural control. (An old forestry practice was to plant fruit trees to encourage pest-eating birds among young plantations.) Perhaps as a result of working with nature he has managed to avoid the build up of weevil numbers, which can destroy crops. Land managed for biodiversity can contribute substantially to cost savings in commercially planted areas. He recently replanted a 10 acre section of Sitka at an exceptionally low cost of £250 per acre.

The need for forestry to pay its way is essential on any commercially run operation and Lough Bawn is no different in that respect. Jack stated in his opening address that while only 30% of the planted area is under Sitka Spruce, it provides 90% of the total income.

He also stated later in the day, when we were among some magnificent broadleaved trees, that he had recently sold forty 200 year old Oak for £200 each or a return of £1 per year of growing. This tallies with the experiences of other farmers selling hardwoods at present and there is an urgent need for the whole issue of marketing broadleaves to be addressed. It cannot be right that we are importing tropical hardwoods in vast quantities for our joinery businesses yet our own excellent hardwoods are fetching derisory prices. We do not of course have the critical mass of hardwoods available yet, in order to support a serious saw milling enterprise but, in the meantime, little is being done to encourage farmers to plant broadleaves other than through Forest Service rulings on minimum areas that must be part of new plantations. It is absolutely essential that 40 year or longer premiums be introduced for broadleaves if we are to make any serious progress.

This sums up our weekend in Gloucestershire! A high level of fitness and endurance was needed as our members were put through their paces by Major Tom Wills on Saturday - then John Workman on Sunday, with a "grand finale" at The Westonbirt Arboretum (which contained no hills, thank goodness).

55 members from as far afield as Scotland, Isle of Wight, East Anglia and Kent gathered together on a beautiful sunny day in the delightful village of Miserden with its limestone houses set around the main house where the Estate plays an integral part.

Major Wills the owner, gave us a brief history of the estate which is situated 750 feet above sea level on the west side of the Roman road. It comprises 3,000 acres in all, of which 630 acres is woodland on steep ground. The woodlands were clear-felled for the war effort - the timber being used in the production of Mosquito aircraft. As a result all the woodlands are post 1945.

The woodlands are managed by two foresters - Roly Holtham (the resident) and Geoff Huggett (the consultant). Roly has just completed 46 years in forestry - having first come to the estate as a 15 year old.

We were then taken - at breakneck pace - into the beautiful River Frome valley, close to which were some outstanding mature conifers. A group of Silver Firs (one of which hosted a lofty Buzzard’s nest) were much admired and their naturally regenerated "children" gave us hope for the future.

Close by were some magnificent Douglas Firs planted about 1875, with one "monster" of 412 cubic feet, reaching up to the sky with its healthy leader signalling in triumph. The underground springs and micro-climate here produce superb Norway Spruce, Coast Redwoods and Wellingtonia (more 185 feet monsters) which had somehow survived the Ministry Inspectors for the War Effort.

A fine stand of beech at the top of the drive.

Peter Goodwin introduced Arwyn Morgan from South Wales who is studying Redwood Groves in Britain (see W.H. Journal No.8) and a lively discussion on micro-climate followed. Trustee, David Rice, spotted plenty of natural regeneration of mixed ages and with the potential for true Continuous Cover Forestry in this area.

Then we set off up the hill, along the main drive, to see the progress of thinning the beech woodlands in order to produce final crop trees. Recent work was very professional with minimal damage and neat piles of timber awaiting the timber trucks. David Taylor commented: "I had my office in Miserden for many years and always walked home through this spot, so I have watched it develop from being a pretty nondescript plantation which has benefited from many judicious thinnings. Now it begins to look rather nice doesn’t it ? The quality is here and there is going to be a nice crop of Beech - which you wouldn’t have reckoned on 10-15 years ago".

Asked by Trustee Roger Venables about the long term future of the wood, Major Wills put it like this "Because it’s on the drive, it’s probably looked after rather better than some of the plantations that are further on and I think it will hopefully be kept under continuous cover".

David Taylor (left) and Trustee David Rice (centre) at Fuller’s Earth.

He added: "I think as a private woodland owner one just has to be the eternal optimist, sticking to management that one knows is right - and hope that one is going to get a reasonably good return on the rotation at the end of the day that will encourage natural regeneration to come on, whatever it is. But I would hope by enriching with planting where trees are required, by filling in gaps, we would keep it under continuous cover."

Onwards and upwards we went, to see Ash, Sycamore and Beech growing high on a hillside upon a rich seam of Fuller’s Earth, producing better growth rates than in other places on the Estate. Major Wills was proud of his seed source which had produced consistently high grade Sycamore and Beech for the veneer trade over the years.

At the top of the hill we were allowed to get our breath (believe it or not) under a 630 year old Oak. This stood on the edge of a field which played host to Bee and Butterfly Orchids - only allowed to be grazed by sheep at the end of the summer.

At the promise of "it’s downhill from here" we found new vigour and arrived back at the lakeside where the Ram Pump was shown to us - an 18th century piece of engineering which was used to pump lake water up to the house and garden.

Bede Howell addresses members - prior to falling off the bank !

We then examined a 15 year old Beech which had been severely attacked by grey squirrels and which had no future at all. The question of whether controlling grey squirrels was effective or not, was dealt with most convincingly by Bede Howell (past President of the R.F.S. and committee member of the recently formed European Grey Squirrel Initiative). He talked us though the problems of GS damage and led us to the inevitable conclusion that the beautiful Miserden Estate woodlands were at dire risk of destruction by "This American invasive alien mammal". Bede reassured us that the work of ESI was focusing on GS elimination by immuno-contraception. He warned us that European forests were under threat from GS colonies which were already at the foothills of the Italian Alps.

If this bad news did not dampen spirits, then the realisation that our picnic lunches were now some 500 ft above us in the village, was another challenge to be faced in the hot weather.... Most of us made it in the end, although there were some dark mutterings about the "downhill from here" quote.

Lewis presents Major Tom Wills with his Yew Bowl.

At the conclusion of the morning session Lewis Scott warmly thanked Major Wills and his staff for giving us such a wonderful tour. Miserden Estate must surely be one of the most beautiful places in the county of Gloucestershire and it had left us all with the deep impression that it was in the most capable and caring hands.

After a picnic lunch we held our Annual General Meeting, followed by a demonstration of mobile log sawing by the Dean Oak Cooperative - using the portable Trekkasaw which Woodland Heritage had provided a few months earlier.

We were then free to walk back (downhill) into the village to see the small workshop of Mark Mitchell who uses timber from the estate for much of his commissions. Finally, we were kindly allowed to tour the magnificent gardens of Misarden House which really set the seal on a memorable day.

Day 2 - Workmans Wood, Ebworth

"I am trying to pretend that this is a National Nature Reserve, not a production forest. It is a compromise. I don’t want it to be a well-spaced boring plantation and if and when I ever write my life story, the title will be CONTROLLED NEGLECT. "

Woods have graced the Sheepscombe Valley for centuries and were part of the Ebworth Estate bought in 1901 by John Workman’s grandfather. In 1976 the wood was recognised as a National Nature Reserve and named "Workman’s Wood" in honour of the family. It comprises 120 hectares of steep sided valleys with slopes of varying gradient and aspect, ranging in altitude from 150 to 250 metres above sea level. John told us that in 1989 the 400 acres of beech woodland and 600 acres of agricultural land was given to the National Trust. The old Ebworth Centre adjoins the woodlands and was established as a centre for woodland study, management and practical work. English Nature and the Forestry Department of the Royal Agricultural College are involved with the venture.

John warned us that he had prepared a tight schedule which necessitated keeping up with him at all times - and promptly roared off downhill in his electric buggy ...

Fortunately, the forestry roads were in superb condition so our party of 70 were determined not to miss anything. Above and below us stood hundreds upon hundreds of superb Beech trees - of excellent form and vigour. The bigger trees averaged 200 years - and some were still looking healthy when nearly 300 years old.

Provenance

We paused to discuss the provenance of these trees - and to catch our breath. John said: "This area I planted in 1956 when the rabbits had all gone. There were 3 rows of beech, 5 feet apart. The plants came from Kingscote, my father's other estate where there are many marvellous Beech - and these were dug up from the regeneration and planted here. I suspect that the original trees came from the famous Foret de Soigne on the outskirts of Brussels, so we might go back and get some more from that source." John asked us to note that there had been no high pruning because the shaded environment and close spacing will do the job naturally.

Grey Squirrels

John addresses our members with the electric buggy at the ready.

When asked about potential damage by Grey Squirrels, John told us: "I have a fairly firm conviction that if trees are growing slowly, the squirrels will find them less attractive. Now it’s a fact that however close the trees are, the height growth is not affected - so by having them close you still get the height position. Obviously, I must now open them up to allow the crowns to expand and hope that they will then be beyond serious squirrel wreckage."

The Past Resource

A typical stem of a 200-year-old beech.

Trustee, Roger Venables recalled coming to these woods in his twenties as a young timber buyer. "I came with my uncle and ‘his’ father to learn how to negotiate the annual log prices. My uncle had just bought a new Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire and it was snowing heavily at the time. The roads were steep and treacherous and we finally arrived at Mr.Workman’s house and began the negotiations. The more it snowed, the more Mr. Workman Senior thought that Sidney Venables is bound to give in on the price and want to head home ! But Sidney, being the sort of man he was, thought I’ll stay here all day to get this price lower if I can ! And so we sat there humming and ha-ing - drinking endless cups of coffee (and other things) for about three hours before we left !"

Roger went on: "The quality of Beech which we drew out of these woods, which we sold to the furniture trade at that time, could match anything and be far superior to a lot which was coming in from the continent. The thing that finished us was that we couldn't get enough volume to sustain the market that we had found and so we were forced to import a lot from Europe where there was continuity."

John raced ahead again, leaving some of us in need of oxygen, only to brake suddenly. "Here you will see a fallen Beech and an Oak. One of the things that irritate me about naturalists is that they insist that I leave them there for the sake of the insects. Well, okay, they are welcome to that, but I would much rather remove the valuable part to make decent furniture."

Fuelwood

He accelerated away again and finally stopped to point out a flat standing where there once had been a charcoal hearth. "This simply indicates that for hundreds of years these woods were used for producing Beech charcoal. Everyone thinks that was only for smelting, it wasn’t, it was mostly for household cooking and heating. People say that the Beech woods around High Wycombe developed because of the furniture industry - but it was the other way round - the furniture industry developed around High Wycombe because the market for charcoal for London had collapsed."

Deer

John stands beside his sculpture "The Spirit of the Woods". (Phil Hinton)

We gathered ourselves again and followed our relentless Leader to his next stop. "Why I am stopping here is that you will see a lot of tiny little Beech - we shall call them Bonsai trees - twenty years ago the Fallow deer arrived and since then they have simply destroyed everything. All I see is a browsing line. You don’t see any young trees at all, whereas 30 years ago the wood was choked with young trees. The Fallow come back each year to feed and they don’t kill the young Beech, they just leave enough so that there will be enough for them the next year. Look, there is one that they missed and it got away alright. I could put guards around one or two young trees, but it is a hopeless task - heartbreaking, because a system which has been running for 50 years is now doomed - unless, of course, you get rid of the deer."

Ash

High above us on a steep slope was a parcel of recently felled Ash, destined for the Irish hurley stick market. We noted that the Irish cutters favoured those stems which had the widest buttresses - in order to produce the special sweep of the traditional stick. It was sad to see that only about 5 feet of each tree had been taken, leaving the rest of the butts and 2nd lengths to find a market which, in these difficult days, is only likely to be firewood. The moral being GET A HIGH PRICE FOR THE HURLEY STICK PART !

Now admitting that we were on the return leg, our Motorised Leader urged us to keep to his schedule - not easy for those from flat East Anglia who were now experiencing Second Day Mountaineering Pains - but we pressed "onwards and upwards" where John thankfully stopped.

Natural Regeneration

"Here on the left is all natural regeneration. The wood blew down in 1976, but fortunately the regen was just established and was as good as you could wish for. Below the track we have planted three row strips of Beech and Larch. The Larch have virtually all gone, but I have kept the strips to encourage anything that wanted to come - like Ash or Sycamore. Pure Beech is very destructive, nothing grows underneath it except the occasional orchid. Sycamore seeds about very freely and produces very big valuable white timber which is sadly very attractive to grey squirrels. If you leave Sycamore too long it suppresses the Beech, but by leaving it, the squirrels then attack it and leave the Beech ! But on the whole I do think that we have controlled the grey squirrels pretty well."

Trustee Roger Venables presents John Workman with his Burr Yew Bowl.

Closer to Base Camp now, we rested to admire a stand of magnificent Ash on the lower slope. Just around the corner the writer was permitted ‘time off’ to admire (and girth) a fine Oak in an area where the soils gave it best advantage. We saw huge Poplars, then more beautiful Beech before hauling our tortured bodies up the final track - where our Leader calmly waited for us and announced that we were precisely on time !

It was here at the top of the hill, overlooking the wood, that John had erected an impressive wooden sculpture called "The Spirit Of The Woods" - precisely the words used by Laurie Lee to describe John Workman's influence on the wooded landscape for which he had contributed so much. It had been a memorable tour, conducted by an enthusiastic and highly skilled forester who clearly loved to pass on his knowledge.

Roger Venables then stepped up to present John with a Burr Yew bowl which had been crafted by our (now famous) member, Richard Chapman. Roger thanked our host for giving us a wonderful morning and went on to say: "It has been a tremendous memory for me to come back into your woods after such a long time. The respect we have as a family for the Workman family goes back a very, very long time - and will be echoed by everyone here today."

Mike Seville is the Chairman and Rik Pakenham a committee member of the Continuous Cover Forestry Group, which is affiliated to Pro Silva in Europe. This is a federation of foresters who advocate forest management based on natural processes.

Woodland Heritage kindly sponsored them to attend this annual conference and study tour, which is held in a different member country each year.

Croatia used to be part of Yugoslavia but is now a Republic with a population of approximately 4.5 million people and an area of 5,654,200 hectares.

Forestry has a long history, within the statutes of many Dalmatian towns are regulations on the preservation and conservation of forests as early as the 13th century. The first forestry offices were established in 1765 with the first manual on forest management, the Forest Order issued by Maria Theresa in 1769.

Forests comprise 44% of the total area, of which 82% are state owned and 18% privately. Composition by tree species is 84% deciduous and 16% coniferous. The main species are Beech 35%, Pedunculate Oak 14%, Silver Fir 10%, Sessile Oak 10%, Hornbeam 8%, Ash 4%, Norway Spruce 2%, other broadleaves 13%, other conifers 6%.

Forest communities are divided into two vegetation regions, the Mediterranean and the Euro-Siberian- North American, within which there are respectively two and five vertical vegetation belts. The country is very rich in species diversity having 4,500 plant species, half of which live in the forests. 260 are woody species, 60 of which have commercial value. Annual increment is 9.6 million m³ and the annual cut is 5.3 million m³, 46% of which is sawmill timber, 37% fuelwood and 17% waste.

Forest education began in 1860 and is now based in the Faculty of Forestry and the Academy of Forest Sciences at the University of Zagreb, and the Forestry Institute at Jastrebarsko. The Faculty owns five teaching-experimental centres and 3.5 million hectares of forests. Approximately 100 students graduate each year.

It was one of these teaching centres we visited on our first day.

2nd June 2005

Excursion 1: Natural regeneration of Silver Fir stands using group selection system at the Forest research and educational centre of Zalesina.

The forest is situated 130 km west of Zagreb and 50 km east of the Adriatic sea in a mountainous area between the south eastern Alps and the Dinaric mountain chain.

We visited the Belevine management unit which covers 294 ha between 720-870 m elevation. The soils are podzols over lying schists and sandstones. Air temperatures range from -3° to + 16° C, precipitation averages 2500 mm and snow lies for approximately 180 days.

Historically this was a virgin Beech forest with very few conifers. Exploitation began at the end of the 16th century, but increased towards the end of the 18th century when roads and railways were built. From 1871 the forest was owned by German families and from this time the concept of creating pure conifer stands was put into practice.

Records show that the Beech content in 1867 was 67%. By 1950 it was only 3%. Much of the Beech was exported to Venice for the Murano glass works. The current structure originated from natural regeneration under a selection system, the main species being Beech, Silver Fir, Norway Spruce (not native), Rowan, Sycamore, Lime and Elm.

For the last 50 years the forest has been managed by the Faculty of Forestry under set management guidelines which aim to have an optimal volume of 440m³/ha, a basal area of between 34-37 m², selection cutting interventions every 10 years removing 25% of the volume – aiming to form mixed stands of 80% Fir 20% Beech.

Target diameters for cutting are Fir 70cm dbh and Beech 50cm dbh. Single tree and Group selection systems are used.

All species regenerate freely except Norway Spruce which has been used as a pioneer on fire, wind blow, or on die-back areas caused by pollution.

The maximum gaps created by felling are 1.5 times the height of the neighbouring trees, generally 30-50 metres.

The students study for a four year degree and are tutored in all aspects of forest management including six months practical work in the forests. At the time of our visit they had felled Silver Fir, delimbed, measured over bark, peeled the tree, measured under bark, cross cut and were waiting to extract the timber.

Excursion 2: Natural regeneration of Fir-Beech stands using the Single Tree Selection system.

This forest was situated in the Dinaric mountains growing on steep slopes with many limestone outcrops. Similar to the lunch-time stop, the best trees were growing in the deeper soils between the rocks, but trees were also on the shallower soils over the Limestone and this created a large range of heights.

These features led to the choice of using a Single Tree Selection system to enhance stability and retain canopy cover.

The main species were Silver Fir, Norway Spruce and Beech with Sycamore and Elm.

Experimental plots showed 931 trees/ha with diameter range of 1-110cm dbh, basal area of 41m², standing volume of 601 m³/ha and annual increment of 7.1m³/ha.

The diameter distribution was <30cm 15%, 31-50cm 15%, >51cm 70%.

Cutting interventions were every ten years removing 20–25 % of the volume, which approximated the increment over that period.

Although the terrain made felling and extraction difficult the following average expenditure and income was achievable:

Price roadside €48/m³, fell and extract €7, tending €9, administration €10, return €22/m³.

This was a beautiful forest exhibiting the best that Selection systems can offer.

3rd June 2005

Having spent the night in Delnice in the west near the Slovenian border we travelled east, almost to the Hungarian border to the Bjelovar forest district.

On this side of the country the climate was very different, with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperatures were 10-12º C, with precipitation being 850mm per annum. The landscape was flat, or rolling hills with wide flood plain valleys

Excursion 3: Natural regeneration of Beech-Sessile Oak forests by Shelterwood cutting. This forest was situated in the Bilogora Hills at 150 metres altitude. It was predominantly Beech with Oak, both Robur and Petrea and a small percentage of Cherry, Lime and Hornbeam.

The system regenerated the forest over 10-12 years with three thinnings and a final clear cut over this period. The aim was to establish a predominantly Beech/Oak forest with other minor species.

Beech produced viable seed every year and Oak every 3-4 years. The regeneration area was 34 ha which had been fenced to exclude Wild Boar. Boar numbers are increasing since the end of the recent war as people no longer need to kill them to survive. Local hunting clubs now carry out the control.

The standing volume at the beginning of the regeneration period was 520m³/ha, Beech are managed on 100-110 year rotations before Red Heart attacks the tree.

The average prices received roadside were Beech €50 and Oak €100 per m³, Oak veneer could fetch up three times this price. The timber is sold to a traditional set of complicated rules, but was of high quality.

The outcome of this management system could be seen in the adjoining compartment where 60 ha of 20 year-old, even-aged forest stood at up to 10,000 trees/ha.

This view came as rather a shock compared with what we had seen the day before, and no explanation, apart from tradition, was offered for not considering adopting selection systems to develop an uneven-aged structure.

Excursion 4:The management of Beech-Lime stands.

A 51 year old stand that totalled 50 ha, with 50% Lime (argentea), 18% Beech, 18% Hornbeam 14% other species including Wild Cherry. The standing volume was 295 m³/ha with an average top height 28 metres and yield of 11m³/ha per annum. Lime only grows in this part of Croatia between 200-400 metre contours.

The Lime is worth more than the Beech in monetary terms and is used for internal panelling, veneer and plank. However it is a pioneer species, does not grow under other Lime and is very aggressive both from suckers and seed. The site type is Beech/Oak and it is envisaged that this will dominate in the next generation.

Excursion 5: Flood plain forest stand of Black Alder.

The next stop was within the river Drava flood plain almost adjacent to the Hungarian border. Here we were in the Black Alder/Oak forest area that totalled 5,000 ha, of which 2,000 ha were Black Alder. We visited a stand of Black Alder that was 96 years old, an average height of 37 metres, a mean dbh of 37 cm and a standing volume of 750m³/ha, other minor species were Field Maple, Hornbeam and Bird Cherry. It formed part of a forest reserve and had been protected since 1975. It survived in an almost natural state because of the water regime, where the constant water table level was 1 metre below the surface, but spring and autumn floods were essential to retain this regime. This was one of the few areas within in the Danube water-shed that had not been affected by the damming of the water courses, and this gave rise to a Gley type soil with sand.

To see 750 m³/ha of this species was almost unique and well worth the visit despite the Black Fly and Midges !

4th June 2005

The last day was spent in the Lowland and Floodplain forests of Croatia between the rivers Sava and Drava. These forests cover 290,000 hectares of which 205,000 hectares are pedunculate oak, 27,000 hectares of narrow leaved ash, 17,000 hectares of black alder as well as white willow, poplars and other mixed softwoods and hardwoods. The total growing stock is 72,900,000m³, the annual increment 2,076,000m³ and the annual cut 1,280,000m³ or 61% of the increment.

The forests fall in to four main stand types:

• Oak and hornbeam
• Floodplain oak
• Oak and narrow-leaved ash
• Oak and alder

Excursion 6: Climax Oak and Hornbeam forest

The first stand we visited was an area of magnificent 175 year old oak and hornbeam with 450m³/ha of oak and 178m³/ha of hornbeam. This was climax forest on an area which did not flood and where the water table was typically between -1m and -7m below ground level with the oak having an annual increment of 6.37m³/ha and the hornbeam 3.96m³/ha.

Again this woodland was being regenerated naturally by a shelterwood system though, where previously the method would have been to clear all the undergrowth and wait either 5 or 15 years and then fell all the oak, now the crop was removed in 3 cuts over a 6-8 year period, as they were finding that the young oaks could only live under the canopy for a maximum of four years due to problems with mildew, mice and wild boar.

Excursion 7: Floodplain Oak and Ash, Oak and Alder forest

Although at the same altitude, 93m, the ground conditions at this site were very different from the previous one and the area was characterised by small scale, but distinct changes in vegetation type caused by very small differences in height relative to the water table. At the first stop the soil was heavy clay and the area flooded twice a year. It had been an oak elm mixture, but the elm had been lost and was now being replaced by ash. Although slightly younger than at the previous site, the oak was of a significantly smaller diameter being slower grown. This made it at least 20% more valuable at €360/m³ as opposed to €260/m³ for the wider ring width oak.

Possibly because of the soil conditions the oak here does not fruit, so regeneration was by seeding of oak at a rate of 800kg – 1 ton of acorns per hectare.

Within feet of this site, the land was constantly flooded and the crop changed to alder swamp.

We then walked on to a recently regenerated area. This 9 hectare site had received a sanitation felling in 1998 which had opened up the canopy sufficiently to allow seeding and regeneration. In 2001 40% of the overstorey, 500m³/ha, had been removed and in 2004 the remaining trees had also been felled. Although the crop was now well established there had been significant tending costs: 31 man days for fencing, 137 man days for weeding and unspecified costs for two mildew treatments.

Whilst there was no doubt that the shelterwood systems used by the Croatians were working and producing good quality timber, there was much discussion within the group as to why a more intimate selection system which had the potential to save on costs and prevent the felling of trees before their optimum size and value, had not been adopted. Again this appeared to be a combination of tradition and a lack of will to experiment and change perhaps as a legacy of the communist era.

Something different

In the afternoon of the last day we left the forest behind for a surprise visit to the Lonjsko polje nature park. This fascinating village of sawn oak houses and adjacent wetland was a step back in time and it was heartening to see that the Croatians had recognised its importance and were taking steps to safeguard it.

The reserve is an important breeding ground for storks, spoonbills and other wetland birds and is notable for the semi-feral wild pigs historically kept by the villagers and currently being re-introduced.

More information is available at the reserve website www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr

Conclusion

Whether or not you agree with the management systems adopted by the Croatians, there is no doubt that they value their forests and manage them to a high standard.

Their forests and foresters are held in high regard and contrary to some opinion, they are not cutting more than their increment for quick Western currency. Indeed, if they have a problem it is that they are not cutting enough timber to sustain the regeneration of their forests.

The more one travels in Europe the more one realises we have a great deal to learn from European foresters with their long history of forest management and how the love of trees and forests can bring people together to share their knowledge.

Mike Seville and Rik Pakenham

David Williams and Harry Hindle David Taylor and Arabella Killander Harry Hindle and Paul Raymond-Barker

Members walking through the Leighton Estate woodlands Evelyn Richardson Daphne Chandler

Professor Eberhard Bruenig	Gathering outside Trawscoed Hall for our farewell

Sally Goodwin and Gavin Munro Outside the Leighton Summer House David and Mary Duxbury

Peter Savill and Jo Clark Gabriel Hemery, Jon McCosh, Belinda and Lewis Scott Martin Price