The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Major felling operation to protect Highland forest
Nature: Area to be cleared of trees infected with Dothistroma needle blight
A major felling operation is about to get under way to protect a Highland forest from a damaging tree disease.
Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) will start work later this month to protect the Caledonian pinewood at Glenmore Forest near Aviemore.
The 308ha McAlpine plantation, part of the area bought from Rothiemurchus Estate in 2013, will be cleared of trees infected with Dothistroma needle blight (DNB), a widespread disease that has caused decline in non-native pine varieties.
As well as tackling the disease, the operation will kick-start a substantial native woodland regeneration project that will have the additional benefit of restoring a range of habitats.
Giles Brockman, for the FES team in Inverness, Ross and Skye, said: “Scots pine has demonstrated some tolerance to the disease but we don’t want to take any chances with the Caledonian pinewoods. By removing the more heavily infected non-native pine we hope to reduce the overall level of infection.
“The management strategy for the pinewood as a whole is achieving good results and these works will contribute to the longterm transition to native habitats. It’s all been very carefully planned to minimise the risk of the tree disease spreading and also to minimise disruption for any capercaillie that might be in the area.”
The project area contains Lodgepole pine, non-native conifers that were planted in the early 1970s, and that are now infected with Dothistroma needle blight.
These trees are being harvested to reduce the risk levels to the wider Caledonian pinewood.
The aim for is that the McAlpine plantation will be free of non-native conifers by 2021-22.
Native woodland will then be established through a combination of natural regeneration of Scots pine and planting of native broadleaves (birch, aspen, alder).
Mr Brockman added: “We will be tackling this in stages over the next five years and although it sounds like a big area it’s a very small proportion of the native pinewood area in the surrounding landscape.
“The operations are planned to have no impact on public access, will have minimal impact on local capercaillie and will ultimately provide more, high quality habitat for the birds.”
The conservation of native pinewoods and Capercaillie are priorities in the plan, which meets the requirements of the Natura planning system.
“We will be tackling this in stages over the next five years”