Forest Design PrinciplesNicholas Shepherd MLI MICForLandscape & Culture AdvisorScottish Forestry
UK Forestry Standard 20172
Forest Design Principles
Introduction
What? An appreciation of the established forest design principles to the UK Forestry Standard
Why? Essential to carrying out forest landscape designWhere? Landscapes experienced by peopleWho? Forest planner (landscape consultant)When? During the preparation of a forest management
plan; for new woodland creation or the management of an existing forest
How? As an integral part of the process of forest management planning.
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape context
UK Forest Standard (UKFS) 2017Sets out sustainable forest management
Forests and Landscape Requirements and Guidelines Sets out good forestry practice requirements for landscape and guidelines on how to comply with those requirements
European Landscape Convention A UK obligation, signed and ratified 2006, highlighted in UKFS
Landscape …an area, as perceived by people, whose visual features and character are the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
geology, geomorphology and climate= topography, landform, waterbodies
+elevation, exposure, soils and hydrology= vegetation pattern
+human influences and activity= settlement, infrastructure and land use
Key characteristics are those which are most persistent, most dominant and most influential in defining identity
Landscape character is also about how people experience the natural resources and cultural heritage that define place.
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape character
In Wales, national coverage of landscape character is provided in the National Landscape Character Areas (NLCAs) published by NRW
Recognised NLCAs more a resource for working at a strategic level and providing a wider context
More detailed, smaller scale Local Landscape Character Areas (LLCAs) published by local authorities and may form part of their Supplementary Planning Guidance
All have the benefit of providing a shared understanding of the character of a landscape area, providing a baseline for planning for landscape change and informing forest design.
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Forest Design Principles
Landscape sensitivities
Designations
• Striking landscape character (Welsh National Parks)• Scenic value (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty)• Regional or local significance (Special Landscape Areas)• Historic importance (Registers of Landscapes of Historic
Interest and Historic Parks and Gardens in Wales, Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Wales.)
Other sensitivities• Setting of important features, landmarks and settlements• Iconic views• Local landmarks.
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Forest Design Principles
UKFS Guidelines on Forests and Landscape
Forest design principles
• Shape• Landform• Pattern of enclosure• Scale• Diversity• Unity• Spirit of place.
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Forest Design Principles
Shape – the external form or outline of an object
In upland landscapes
• Landform dominates• The broad shapes of the hills, ridges and gullies will be
influential• Landform shape can be boldly rounded or rugged• Vegetation pattern is generally irregular• Shapes are generally organic and naturalistic.
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Forest Design Principles
Shape in upland landscapes
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Forest Design Principles
Shape
In lowland landscapes
• Enclosure and field vegetation pattern may dominate -especially where relief is low and topography subdued
• Landform is often smooth, but can be irregular, with more complex tiers and rocky outcrops
• Vegetation pattern is frequently geometric and regular• Shapes can be regular and ordered.
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Forest Design Principles
Shape in lowland landscapes
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Forest Design Principles
Shape and the forest
Current forest
Future forest
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Forest Design Principles
Landform – a three dimensional shape
In upland landscapes
• Landform is usually the most dominant and obvious shape• Landform is three dimensional and is a big influence on
forest design • Analyse the visual interpretation of landform in detail to
inform the shapes of a forest • The shapes could be the outside edge, internal open
spaces, felling coupes and species pattern• Convention of red arrows to indicate spurs and ridges,
green arrows to indicate hollows and dips.
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Forest Design Principles
Landform analysis
Future forest and response to landform analysis
Landform analysis over greyscale of current forest
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Forest Design Principles
Pattern of enclosure – cultural shapes over landform
Current enclosure pattern landscape
Woodland creation respecting enclosure pattern
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Forest Design Principles
Pattern of enclosure and landform
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Forest Design Principles
Scale – the relative size between elements as seen
Relatively large landscape scale
Relatively small local scale
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Forest Design Principles
Scale and the forest
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
BL LTR
Conifer LTR
Felling phasesPerspective
Plan
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Forest Design Principles
Diversity – number of different elements
Reasons for diversity in the forest landscape
• Biodiversity – creating a variety of habitats • Economic – extending species and age spread to maximise
the range of timber products in an evolving market• Climatic change – introducing adaptation measures for a
resilient future forest, including species and structural diversity through wider range of silvicultural systems
• Structural stability – increasing the percentage of continuous cover to maintain canopy cover, reducing the impact of extreme climatic events…
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Forest Design Principles
Diversity
Reasons for diversity in the forest landscape
• Visual diversity – refers to the number of different elements that can be seen in a landscape
• Public preference – research shows that people prefer being in forests with diversity of tree species and ages, and open space revealing other landscape features
• How much diversity – appropriate to landscape character and how the forest is used
• Diversity opportunities – more species and age class opportunities in sheltered low lying areas, larger and fewer elements in simpler exposed upland landscapes.
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Forest Design Principles
Diversity and the forest
Current forest
Future forest
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Forest Design Principles
Unity – component parts work together in harmony
Achieving unity in forest design so that the elements complement each other and the forest contributes positively to the character of the local landscape
• Shape – related to landform and/or enclosure pattern• Landform – designed shapes related to landform analysis• Enclosure – design related to the enclosure pattern• Scale – large scale shapes relate to large scale landscapes,
smaller scale shapes relate to lower-lying and smaller scale landscapes. Also, scale of open spaces well proportioned
• Diversity – degree of diversity is appropriate to the character of the landscape
• Spirit of place – conserve and emphasise these qualities.
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Application of the forest design principles
FC Practice Guide
• Provides step-by-step guidance for each of the planning stages in the preparation of a forest management plan
• For both the creation of new forests and woodlands, and management of existing
• Page 50 appendix of worked examples on FR web-site.
Thank you for listening
Nicholas Shepherd MLI MICForLandscape & Culture AdvisorScottish Forestry