What have trees ever done for us?

Timber

Scotland's forests are the most productive in the UK. The last forecast of softwood conifer production  (produced in 2006) indicated that timber availability would rise from an average of 6.9 million m3 per year between 2007 and 2011, to about 8.9 million m3 per year in 2017 to 2021. Current hardwood production is around 50,000 m3, but more could be produced if markets were available. Estimated annual consumption  in 2008 was 6.5 million cubic metres, so Scotland could theoretically be self-sufficient in timber - although we both import and export wood and wood-products.

Non-timber forest products

 "Non-timber forest products  " (NTFPs) is a term used to describe all materials supplied by woodlands - except the conventional harvest of timber. Scottish woodlands provide wild and managed game; edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms; foliage, seeds, bark, resins, dyes, craft materials and more. Many people collect brambles, blaeberries, and fungi without thinking about them in this way, but recent surveys    suggest that over 200 NTFPs, derived from 173 vascular plant and fungal species, are currently being collected regularly in Scotland. 

The ForestHarvest    website, run by Reforesting Scotland  , is dedicated to Scotland's wild and woodland products, providing a starting point to discover useful species and the products made from them; the businesses which make use of Scotland's wild resources; and the projects which are developing and protecting the potential of wild harvests in Scotland. There is also information on the types of woodland you will find in Scotland, on legal and sustainability issues, and much more.

Human health and well-being

Attractive environments help people to relax and encourage them to take exercise; there is a correlation between people's happiness and the presence of accessible, green, safe, pleasant places.

Whilst all greenspace has benefits for health and well-being, the characteristics of woodland make it particularly valuable:

• Trees provide shelter from wind and rain and can reduce noise levels - it's often quieter in woods than in more open spaces.
• Trees and woods confer a sense of cover and seclusion that can enhance the experience of being out of doors. More people can be absorbed in a wooded environment than in open greenspace, without disturbing each other.

 Research   has shown that woods and other greenspace can have real benefits for people's health:

• Being able to view woodlands seems to have a positive effect on reducing stress and combating mental fatigue.
• Views of greenspace from a hospital bed can speed up patient recovery time and reduce the length of time patients need to spend in hospital.
• Behavioural and emotional problems in children, such as attention deficit disorder, may be improved by exposure to woodlands and greenspace.

Carbon sequestration

Scotland's forests currently absorb some 1.86 million tonnes of carbon per year. In theory, an increase in forest cover from 17% to 25% over the next 15 years could increase carbon removal by forests to over 2 million tonnes    of carbon per annum by 2030, and 2.5 million tonnes by 2040. This depends on where the forests are planted and how they are managed.

Trees are not Scotland's only form of carbon storage - our peatlands and other soils store about 2.7 billion tonnes of carbon, with 1 billion tonnes in blanket bog alone. Badly planned forests could be emitters of carbon: trees absorb water from wet soils, drying them out, and their roots break up the soil structure, speeding up decomposition and giving off CO2. We don't yet fully understand for all soils whether the CO2 absorbed by trees is greater than the CO2 given off by soils so we need to be careful to avoid planting on soils where this might be the case.

Ecosystem services

This includes a whole range of benefits  that humanity derives from the natural environment, including all those listed above and many more. Woodland can help to purify air and water, reduce flood risks and decontaminate soils in post-industrial areas.

Riparian woodlands    (woodlands along river banks) are an excellent example of the benefits of woodland. These strips of woodland filter water which percolates through the soil from adjacent fields, removing nutrients and other pollutants. Tree roots prevent the banks eroding, and the shade they cast (so long as it is not too dense) keeps the water cool, preventing it getting too warm for fish to survive. Leaves and invertebrates falling into the water provide food for aquatic creatures - invertebrates falling from leaves and branches form up to 90% of the diet for a number of fish, such as the brown trout (Salmo trutta).