Continuous Cover Forestry
This stand demonstrates some of our woodland management aims at Dronley Wood. The Norway Spruce was planted in 1968 and mature Willow and Silver Birch are present throughout this area.
About This Stand
Old willow
Garry often wondered how old the willows might be. The mature trees are probably remnants of the previous woodland.
Frame Trees
The best quality trees are known as frame trees. These trees will be grown towards maximum dimension and timber value. They will also provide seeds for the natural regeneration of the stand. We support the growth and development of these trees by thinnings, removing an average of 1 competing tree per thinning. We prune the frame trees up to a height of 6 m (or more) to increase the timber value further. Parts of this stand were thinned in Autumn 2022 by our apprentices.
Racks
The racks (extraction lines) are essential for Continuous Cover Forestry. Many access racks are not accessible at the moment. We are working on repairing and restoring the access racks in all parts of the woodland- a priority for the coming years.