Forestry Services: What do we do?

What is ‘forestry’? 

We often get asked “what is forestry?” by both existing clients and those wishing to learn more about our various tree surgery services. 

Forestry services, in general, range from woodland creation and management to harvesting and extracting the wood. 

At Chris Arnold Tree Surgery, we focus on the harvesting and extraction side of forestry work, from small extraction projects to manage the spread of disease through to full scale harvesting of woodlands. 

But we can also provide a comprehensive range of forestry services such as: 

• Establishment – where we provide site preparation services, removing existing vegetation and levelling areas in preparation for tree planting, planting agreed upon species of trees with the necessary protective tubing and stakes, and providing fencing for the woodland boundary or other areas to protect against damage from wildlife or animal stock. 
• Maintenance and management – where we manage the growth of plantations, cleaning the areas to encourage healthy growth, maintaining appropriate spacing between young trees and respacing where necessary, coppicing and re-coppicing to provide a sustainable supply of timber, pest control – including weed management, mulching, pollarding, glade management and more conservation services. 
• Tree surgery – where we provide our full range of arboriculture services from felling to thinning, harvesting, timber extraction, mulching, vegetation clearance and more. 

What is it we do? 

We have a large variety of tools to help us complete a wide range of forestry services. 

We can undertake any size forestry project that our clients ask us to do using equipment such as compact flail skidsteers or forestry mulchers attached to our diggers. We even offer contract chipping using a crane fed chipper. 

We are currently working on felling poplars, which traditionally would have been used to manufacture matchsticks. Many poplar plantations in the British lowlands were created specifically for the purpose of log production for the match making and basket making industries in Britain. 

Due to the decline in demand for matches and the switch to plastic materials for basket making, many poplar plantations have been left standing. This has caused the trees to continue to grow, with little to no management, making them much more likely to collapse or fall. Many poplar plantations were seen as a liability, with little commercial value. 

When we fell poplars, much of the wood from the trees is now used for making pallets and cladding, which demand for has grown significantly over the years. 

Being a rather lightweight wood, poplar lends itself well to use in both the manufacturing processes of pallet and timber cladding, both commercial and residential exterior cladding products. 

Another use to make poplar plantations more commercially viable is chipping for bioenergy production. 

Outside of poplar plantations, poplar trees can create some risks to property owners and even councils if left to grow unmanaged. 

Poplars are a fast-growing tree and can die quickly too, succumbing to rot, pests or disease within 20-30 years. Particularly heavy winds can topple a poplar tree, all of which can create a high-risk situation. This is often when a tree surgeon is required, especially if a poplar tree has grown within reach of a building or pedestrian area. 

Many of the poplar plantations we work on, providing our forestry services, have been restocking their sites with conifers and broadleaf trees, creating a more biodiverse woodland. 

If you are in need of any of our forestry services, from felling and thinning operations to woodland creation or full site clearance, don’t hesitate to call us on 01242 621051 or request a quote. One of our friendly team will be more than happy to help and discuss your project or answer any queries you may have.