SCOTLAND’S Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary, Fergus Ewing, has welcomed a report revealing the country has more native woodland than previously reported.

Published as official statistics by the National Forest Inventory (NFI), the study into woodland ecological condition is the largest and most in-depth assessment of the ecological condition of any habitat in Great Britain.

It reveals that in Scotland 442,611 hectares are now classified as native woodland, more than had previously been thought – and that the majority of this is in north-east and west Scotland.

This figure is up 131,458 hectares on the previous estimate reported in the 2014 Native Woodland Survey of Scotland assessment, and is set to increase as Scotland continues to meet its target for native woodland planting.

The statistics reveal that over 430,000 ha of these native woodlands are in overall ‘favourable’ or ‘intermediate’ condition. They also show that Scotland’s non-native woodlands make an ecological contribution, with less than 6% in ‘unfavourable’ ecological condition.

Mr Ewing said: “This is the first report of its kind and we welcome it as a positive step forward in woodland management. These statistics provide a reliable indication of woodland ecological condition across all woodland types in Scotland.

“They show that Scotland has even more native woodland than previously thought, and that almost all of our forests are making a real contribution in terms of environmental benefits.

“Importantly they provide us with a measure of how our forests and woodlands are becoming more resilient to future climate challenges – by developing those ecological conditions and processes found naturally in native woodlands. When compared to the challenging benchmark of ancient semi-natural woodland, this shows which of the native woodland benefits modern forestry possesses.

 “This is valuable information that will help to shape and deliver more strategic, cost-effective policies and management interventions that will help Scotland to improve the quality of its woodlands for biodiversity, for visitors, and for all those who benefit from Scotland’s forests, while still delivering timber for our expanding construction industry.”

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