When a new stand of timber is planted in Ireland, there is normally 1000 Sitka Spruce planted per acre of ground. By the time these trees have reached maturity at around 35 to 40 years of age and are ready to be felled for timber, there will only be approximately 200 to 300 trees that have survived the whole process. This process in Irish forestry means that the trees are going to be thinned at certain stages of the forest cycle. The first thinning will occur between the age of 14 and 20 years.
You can imagine 1000 trees tightly packed at a spacing of two meters. There is no way that these trees are going to grow into maturity and achieve their total potential if they are left to grow in these confined conditions. This means that the trees which our weaker must be taken out so the stronger trees can survive, mature, and thrive. Much of the time, the trees are taken out during this process used to be used for pulpwood manufacture, fence posts, timber pallets, anything that doesn’t require a top quality timber. But with the current energy crisis, we have had to look at different methods of alternative energy and wood products coming out of our forests fit the bill.
When any forestry is being considered for wood fuel projects, the first thing that needs to be done is to inspect the trees and ascertain the value of thinning the trees at this stage. First, Forest access needs to be gained by the strategic placement of forest inspection lines. These inspection lines will allow a forester to access the forest so that he can judge whether the trees are at the right stage for thinning. When the thinning commences, the trees that are selected for removal will be cut down and left where they fall in order that they can season for a year or two. This is so that they are fit to go through the chipping process.
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