The commission has issued a new practice note on Brash, the branches and tops of trees, which is not normally removed from harvested sites.
The note, compiled by Forest Research’s Bill Mason, Andy Moffat and Bill Jones, explains how brash can benefit the forest ecosystem and be sold to the wood-fuel industry.
“Brash is an important component of the forest ecosystem, and its appropriate management can make a substantial difference to the sustainability of the site, the economics of harvesting and restocking, and the subsequent performance of the restock crop,” says the note.
The guidance, available at www.forestry.gov.uk/publications, sets out the policy and regulatory context for brash management, the properties of brash and the priniciples for management during and after harvesting.