Woodland management planning at Queensberry Estate, Buccleuch
This case study details woodland management planning at Queensberry Estate, Buccleuch, in southwest Scotland, covering 34,600 hectares with a mix of land uses including forests, gardens, and agriculture. The estate aims to conserve its historical landscape, promote biodiversity, ensure sustainability, and generate revenue through timber production. The forest is diverse, with over 40 tree species, including Sitka spruce (50%), other conifers like Norway spruce, Douglas fir, Scots pine (25%), and broadleaf species such as oak, beech, birch, aspen, and eucalyptus (25%). Recently, the estate has increased woodland area by over 650 hectares through new plantings.
The estate faces climate change risks such as increased extreme weather events—storms, heavy rainfall, droughts—and pathogen threats, notably Phytophthora ramorum affecting larch. Significant tree removal has been undertaken due to disease and storm damage, notably storm Arwen in 2021, which caused the loss of 40,000 tonnes of timber. The wet and mild climate also increases vulnerability to wind damage and waterlogging, especially on historically planted sites on prone terrains. Mild winters have led to high vole populations, causing damage to young trees that are typically less susceptible.
Management adaptations include diversifying species planting—such as replanting former larch stands with a mix of Norway spruce, Douglas fir, broadleaves like beech, and conifers for conservation. Standing natural regeneration is encouraged, supported by deer control, to enhance biodiversity and landscape value. The estate has experimented with vegetation management, including using sheep to control ground vegetation and reduce vole damage, with some success.
Monitoring efforts involve regular assessments of tree health, regeneration, and site conditions. Lessons learned highlight that prior mixed planting and resilient forest structures did not fully prevent storm damage, emphasizing the need for flexible, resilient strategies like converting to continuous cover forestry (CCF), where feasible, to increase structural diversity and resilience. CCF implementation is constrained by terrain, wind risk, and costs.
Future objectives focus on creating a species-rich, structurally diverse forest that balances timber production, biodiversity, landscape aesthetics, and recreational use. The estate aims to expand novel species plantings and incorporate ongoing learning into management practices. Overall, the case study illustrates how climate risks and storm events influence forest management, highlighting adaptive strategies to improve resilience and sustainability.
[https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2023/11/Woodland-management-planning-at-Queensberry-Estate-Buccleuch.pdf Woodland management planning at
Queensberry Estate, Buccleuch] (en)
Number of pages: 3
Target countries: United Kingdom
Key takeaways
- Increasing species and structural diversity enhances resilience to climate risks
- Queensberry Estate's strategy of planting a broad range of species, including novel conifers and encouraging natural regeneration, aims to build forest resilience against windthrow, pests, and changing climate conditions.
- Storm Arwen highlighted vulnerabilities of mixed and small group stands
- The storm caused extensive damage and timber loss, revealing that even diverse and mixed stands do not automatically provide sufficient resilience against severe weather events.
- Adapting planting and management to climate change involves trade-offs
- Shifting planting times to avoid drought mortality may increase risks such as frost heave, and changing thinning schedules due to wetter winters impacts forest management practices.
- Natural regeneration and ground vegetation management are crucial for resilience
- Encouraging natural regeneration, alongside measures like deer control and ground vegetation management (including trials with sheep), supports species diversity and structural stability.
- Replanting with diverse species after larch removal aims to maintain landscape and ecological value
- Replacing lost larch stands with a mix of Norway spruce, Douglas fir, broadleaves, and novel conifers reinforces landscape aesthetics and diversifies timber sources.
- Long-term vision is a species-rich, structurally diverse forest supporting multiple estate functions
- The estate aims to balance timber production, biodiversity, aesthetic appeal, and recreational value, with ongoing learning and adaptation informing future management plans.
Sources
- Woodland management planning at
Queensberry Estate, Buccleuch - - https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2023/11/Woodland-management-planning-at-Queensberry-Estate-Buccleuch.pdf
