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How to deal with fallen trees after the recent storms

The BBC recently reported that the UK has lost over 8 million trees this winter already.  With the North East being one of the worst hit areas.

 

Peter Knox, Senior Surveyor at GSC Grays gives some advice on how to deal with fallen trees following the recent storms.

Storms such as Arwen and Barra have caused more damage to buildings and property than any other storm in the last decade and a half. Included in this is trees being windblown and flattened, with an estimated 8 million trees already damaged and more set to suffer the same fate.

It is important that trees are made safe if they are located adjacent to roads or public rights of way. However, while it is tempting to ‘tidy up’ fallen trees in woodland, this might not always be the right answer. The trees provide perfect shelter for a myriad of animals, large and small, including game birds. The rotting timber is then a vital food source and breeding ground for insects, larvae and fungi which then serve the food chain for other animals and bird. The Woodland Trust have a useful guide which you can access here.

Wind-blown trees can be more expensive to remove, so if your woodland is commercially managed, it may prove beneficial to remove the fallen trees to make for a smoother thinning or clearfell operation when the timber matures.

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