Trees

Q: The course has suffered from being very wet this winter. What impact does the removal of a large numbers of trees have upon this?

A: None whatsoever. Deciduous trees only take up water when actively growing, so when dormant in winter with no leaves take up no water at all. Conifers, although they retain their leaves, become dormant as well and take up little moisture.

Q: With all the talk of global warming should we not be planting trees rather than cutting them down and should we not burn them when we do?

A: Trees do take carbon dioxide out of the air and lock it up within the tree. However they can only do this when actively growing with leaves on them. For 6 months of the year they are not removing any carbon dioxide at all whilst they have no leaves. Grass however keeps ticking over all the year round, fixing carbon within the plant, only becoming dormant in very cold conditions.

As for burning the remains, yes it does release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but it is the same carbon dioxide it took out of the atmosphere in the first place whilst growing, so in effect it is carbon neutral. If the tree died naturally it would still release the same carbon dioxide as it decomposed. The only net increase in carbon dioxide is from the burning of fossil fuels which have locked up the carbon within them many millions of years ago.

Q: What happens to the timber that is cut down during the winter clearance work?

A: Any thing that is good enough for fire wood is taken by the commoners at the discretion of the Rangers. A large amount is brought back and stacked into the west course car park for members to help themselves to. Anything oak of a large enough nature is brought back to be converted into usable timber to be used on the course.

A mobile sawmill is hired in for the day to do this work. Winter 2009/2010 produced over £2000 of usable timber in the shape of bridge slats, sleepers and bridge runners. We still have some waiting to be milled. The path alongside the putting lawn has been edged with some of these oak sleepers.

Mobile mill in action. Spring 2010

Q: What is the reason for removing the tree stumps that are left in areas of the rough?

A: If the stumps were left it would not be possible for machinery to be used to keep the area trimmed. Areas of rough have to be trimmed at least twice a year to prevent bracken, brambles and scrub very rapidly re-establishing themselves. This would then over a short period lead to reinvasion of trees that are detrimental to grass and heather growth. The whole cycle would then have to be repeated at considerable cost.