More timber is growing in UK forests than previously thought, according to a new Forestry Commission report. The Standing Timber Volume for Coniferous Trees in Britain says more timber is growing than indicated by previous assessments based on the 1979-82 Census of Woodland and the 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment. “Further reports to be published later this year will explore the implications of these figures with particular reference to potential timber availability and carbon sequestration, ” said Peter Weston, head of inventory and forecasting at the Forestry Commission. The report says UK forests contain an estimated 336 million m³ of coniferous timber, 125 million m³ of which (just over one-third) is managed by the Forestry Commission. Scotland has 212 million m³, followed by England with 87 million m³ and Wales (37 million m³). Sikta spruce trees account for slightly more than half of the coniferous total at 170 million m³, followed by Scots pine at 51 million m³. Source: ttjonline