Coppicing (Selective Cutting)

Question 1

1.

Answer 1

Trees in 1/10 of a mature wood cut close to ground level. They can easily access sun, don’t block light from smaller plants , roots remain so no soil erosion.

Question 2

2.

Answer 2

Tree stumps produce a number of new shoots over 9 years.

Question 3

3.

Answer 3

Different area of wood is coppiced each year and repeated on a 9 year cycle.

Question 4

4.

Answer 4

Some trees e.g oaks left uncut as ‘standard’ trees so larger pieces of timber can be obtained.

Question 5

5.

Answer 5

These are replanted using fast-growing native species so timber can be obtained rapidly to provide food for native animals.

Question 6

6.

Answer 6

Tree seedlings are protected from herbivores by plastic cylinders or pollarding, which is similar to coppicing but trees cut further from ground so herbivores e.g deer can’t reach.

Question 7

Advantages over Clear Felling

Answer 7

Less disturbance of habitat, less reduction in species diversity (coppicing increases diversity as more light reached ground for ground plants), tree roots remain to bind soil preventing soil erosion, more sustainable supply of timber.