ABSTRACT

In more detail, Great Britain, with about 10 per cent of its surface under trees, compares badly with a European average of 25 per cent and with countries like Germany with 30 per cent, and even Mediterranean countries like Greece and Spain with 20 and 31 per cent respectively (House, 1993). In contrast, only Ireland and the Netherlands with 5 and 7 per cent, come out with lower figures than Britain (Clout, 1984). Economically, this means that the United Kingdom has to import some 90 per cent of her timber needs, and accounts for 14 per cent of world timber trade, second only to Japan.