Day 073 - 13 Jan 95 - Page 11


     
     1        semi-natural woodland to coniferous plantation as well as
     2        continuing plantation on high elevation areas in Scotland,
     3        Wales, places like that, in the north of Scotland in the
     4        highlands.
     5
     6        What I would say is that, in fact, the conversion of
     7        English semi-natural ancient woodlands to coniferous
     8        plantations has been -- I do not normally like to use words
     9        like "ecological disaster", but there has been such a
    10        radical change in those woodlands, those forests, that they
    11        are just totally different things now.  The environmental
    12        values of many of our ancient woodlands are totally gone,
    13        and have been replaced by monocultures which are just
    14        monocultures grown commercially for wheat or field or corn.
    15
    16        What I would say is that, in fact, since about 1985 there
    17        has been a major shift in thinking of the Forestry
    18        Authority and the Forest Commission, and the more
    19        destructive elements of previous policy have been stopped
    20        to a great extent because of public pressure, often purely
    21        just for the visual thing of large areas covered with a
    22        monotonous looking coniferous forest, particularly in
    23        Scotland.  The Scots are very upset about this; and also
    24        Wales.  But also because of an increasing recognition that
    25        the way things were managed before 1985 was very bad for
    26        nature conservation, biodiversity, and the general sort of
    27        non-commercial values of forests.
    28
    29        In fact, to a certain extent, I would say that of the
    30        various countries in supplying timber and paper pulp that
    31        McDonald's might use, we are very lucky in this country in
    32        that, in fact, we have, perhaps, some of the highest and
    33        best standards and guidelines, I say guidelines, in the
    34        world.
    35
    36   Q.   For?
    37        A.  For maintaining biodiversity, nature conservation
    38        values, water values, generally what you might say the
    39        non-commercial aspects of woodlands and forests; things
    40        other than just -----
    41
    42   Q.   Of plantation?
    43        A.  Of plantations, yes.
    44
    45   Q.   Does that mean that those plantation forests in this
    46        country are, when compared to previous natural or
    47        semi-natural woodland, are they equivalent in biodiversity
    48        now with the new standards, or not?
    49        A.  No, the plantation forests are not equivalent to the
    50        previous natural forests at all.  They could not be, 
    51        basically, because you have species which actually do not 
    52        belong to the area and they will be north American species 
    53        still.
    54
    55   Q.   Of trees?
    56        A.  Of trees, yes, coniferous north American species, which
    57        are not natural to the area.  Things are getting better,
    58        but they will never return to the state of ancient
    59        semi-natural woodland.
    60

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