CALL 01684 297600 for details of stocking dealers and for March/April special offers. Advanced Cutting Technology BLOUNT UK LTD - OREGON® CUTTING SYSTEMS GROUP Unit 3 Arianda Warehouses - Steinhoff Business Park - Northway Lane - Tewkesbury GL20 8GY Tel. Sales: 01684 855490 - Fax order line: 01684 855496 - E-mail: [email protected]http://www.oregonchain.co.uk • 20% faster cutting*. Cuts your working time. • Blue cutters. Visibly different. • Increases efficiency. Clears wood faster. • Keeping the Best OREGON® features ever : - Increases stay-sharp. Long lasting. - Reduces kickback. Cuts safely. - Improves lubrication. Reduces stretch. - Reduces vibration. Cuts longer with less fatigue. Faster! FASTEST EVER NEW OREGON® 91VX CHAIN 91VX 20% FASTER * Compare to OREGON® 91 VS chain. 2466/07 www.totalarb.com February 2007
Transcript
CALL 01684 297600for details of stocking dealers and for March/April special o�ers.
Advanced Cutting TechnologyBLOUNT UK LTD - OREGON® CUTTING SYSTEMS GROUPUnit 3 Arianda Warehouses - Steinhoff Business Park - Northway Lane - Tewkesbury GL20 8GYTel. Sales: 01684 855490 - Fax order line: 01684 855496 - E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.oregonchain.co.uk
• 20% faster cutting*. Cuts your working time.• Blue cutters. Visibly di�erent.• Increases e�ciency. Clears wood faster.• Keeping the Best OREGON® features ever :
- Increases stay-sharp. Long lasting.- Reduces kickback. Cuts safely.- Improves lubrication. Reduces stretch.- Reduces vibration. Cuts longer with less fatigue.
Faster!FASTEST EVER NEW OREGON® 91VX CHAIN
91VX20% FASTER
* Compare to OREGON® 91 VS chain.
2466
/07
www.totalarb.com February 2007
TOT0207-FRONT COVER:Layout 1 15/2/07 11:52 Page 1
Total Arb February 2007 3
ContentsEditor’s Introduction
Isuzu Denver Max Road Test
Biomass Basic’s
Guide Bar Maintenance
Working under African Skies
What a Waste
Forestry Investment Worldwide
Find an Arborist
Tree Hazards
The Scots Pine
News and Views
For Editorial contact: Hugh Barnes: telephone: 01543 500255 email: [email protected] Advertising contact: Dal Parmar:telephone: 01543 500255 or 07908 168948 email: [email protected] Arb Magazine is published by Total Arb Limited, Coppice House, Teddesley, Penkridge, Staffs ST19 5RP
Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither Total Arb nor its authors can acceptany responsibility for errors or omissions. The views expressed in Total Arb magazine are notnecessarily those of Total Arb Ltd.
There is no unauthorised reproduction, in any media whatsoever, in whole or in part, permittedwithout the written consent of Total Arb Ltd. If you feel that your copyright has been infringed inany way you should contact the editor. We undertake to remove from our publication or website any images or written media that have inadvertently infringed copyright or to give appropriate credit(s) where applicable. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are welcomed, but no responsibility can be accepted from them, however delivered.
Total Arb magazine is independent of all political parties, private interest groups and government.It has no affiliation to commercial interests other then its own and represents no organisations orassociations. Our policy is to provide news and information to our readers in a balanced manner. If you find any error of fact in our pages you should contact the editor by telephone,letter or email. We undertake to correct errors promptly and to issue apologies, where deemedappropriate.
Since Christmas we have seen unparalleled media interest in the environmentand our carbon emissions. It is difficult to believe that this new green interestfrom the media does not have an ulterior motive, but even taken at pure facevalue, it is the best publicity that the Arboricultural Industry has received. Thehighlighting of the use of trees to help in offsetting both state and personalcarbon emissions has led to a renewed interest in the fate of all trees. AsArborists, we are in a fortunate position where we can have a direct effect,through our skills, to help and advise a concerned general public on the role oftrees within our urban environment. To maintain this new momentum, we mustnow focus on establishing this link to the public understanding and belief thatcarbon dioxide pollution can be reduced through trees, and that the practicalhelp necessary to achieve this can be provided by the Arborist.
The ‘greening’ of our lifestyles over the next 10 years will have considerableimplications on how we live. The education of our children from a greenperspective will make all families more conscious on how we can live carbonbalanced lives. This may require the planting of an individual tree to offset ourown personal emissions or involvement in large scale planting projects by acomplete community. Whatever the future holds, the role of the urban tree willbe enhanced by our need to keep existing stocks healthy and new stockgrowing.
Research by the US Forestry Department has been able to place an economiccost on tree transpiration, when compared to the similar industrial process.These processes are the removal of Carbon Dioxide, the production of Oxygenand the recycling of Water, all three of which processes a tree performs naturally.At present costs the economic “processing” value of a tree after 50 years ofgrowth could be in excess of £50,000! This staggering figure soon changes thevalue we place on our trees and how we look after them. It is this form ofinformation that will make the public sit up and take notice and forever changetheir perception of trees.
Within the Arboriculture industry we are going to have to be more aware of thepublic needs in dealing with their trees and associated problems. Theenvironmental demands and new regulations will require an increase in our areasof expertise and also possibly a change in our formal training schemes. Therequirement will evolve over the next few years, and we must be willing toembrace new ideas and techniques and be at the forefront of change.
At Total Arb we are committed to helping assess and explain why we must moveforward together as a single industry. With changes coming thick and fast,education and information must be freely available and re-training must becomean accepted part of our business.
A recent seminar presented by theenvironment agency highlighted theimportance of the ‘Duty of Care’ onwaste and how it can affectbusinesses. The ‘Duty of Care’applies to all businesses that produce‘controlled waste’ – essentially that isany business. Controlled waste isdefined in the ‘Duty of Care – Code ofPractice’ as "any substance orobject...which the producer or theperson in possession of it discardsor intends or is required to discard."and includes hazardous and specialwaste, however companies producingthese waste types must also complywith the Hazardous/Special WasteRegulations.
Basically, getting down to the bottomof it, you have a duty to secure yourwaste and to know where your wastegoes. To know that an authorisedperson receives it and that they aredealing with it responsibly and notthemselves committing an offencewith their handling of your waste andthat they have a license to deal withyour waste or an exemption from theneed for a license.
When waste is passed on from you toa waste manager or carrier a recordmust be kept, a transfer note,completed and signed by bothparties. This should include certaininformation, including the quantity ofwaste, preferably by weight; adescription of the waste, i.e. what
type of business or premisesthe waste is from, name of anysubstances, process’ that producedthe waste, chemical or physicalproperties of the waste; anyinformation that might affect thehandling of the waste. If you use thesame waste manager or carrier on aregular basis and the same wastetype is being transferred, then you areonly required to have one wastetransfer not for up to a year. Ifhowever, the waste type changessignificantly, then you must make surethat new descriptions of the waste aregiven to the carrier and that a newtransfer note is completed and signed.
You must stop your waste materialescaping from your control bysecurely storing it in suitablecontainers. Your waste should not beleft where it can be scavenged byvandals, thieves or animals or whererain or wind can disturb the waste.Containers should not be allowed tobe damaged by weather or accidentsallowing the waste to escape, spill,leak or be leached. Steps should betaken to make sure that waste isproperly contained so that escape isnot likely during future handling of thewaste.
Your waste should be transferred toan authorized person, this can be awaste collection authority, personsholding a waste management licenceor those exempt from holding alicence, persons registered as wastecarriers and those exempt fromregistering as waste carriers. Exemptcarriers include charities and voluntaryorganisations, waste authoritiescollecting waste themselves – these 2are probably the ones most commonlyencountered. There are others listedin the ‘Duty of Care’. It is theresponsibility of you, the holder, to;check the waste manager has alicence and that it permits themanager to take the type andquantities of waste involved, or, whereexempt, confirm the type ofexemption. Likewise you must verifythe certificates of registration of thecarriers, or, where they are exempt,confirm the category of exemption.
This is a brief outline of therequirements to holder’s of wasteunder the ‘Duty of Care’. The fullCode of Practice can be accessed atwww.netregs.gov.uk for furtherinformation.
Total Arb February 200720
Duty of Care on Waste –Know where your wastegoes! We are nowresponsible for the movementand where are waste endsup. If we transgress we areliable for large fines, so youneed to know and keep allpaperwork for this area of yourbusiness.
What a waste!Anna Thornton
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What a beast! This was the firstcomment passed when we arrived atthe office and it sums up the IsuzuDenver Max. It’s big, powerful andhas amazing street presence. The oldidea of a pick-up truck being one upfrom a tractor has now been banishedforever, with this Isuzu Denver Maxnow competing with traditional SUVmodels. This dual cab pick-up cancomfortably carry a family of fivepeople, cruise motorways at 70mph,then turn into a rough forest track withheavy kit to start a hard day’s work. Itis an awesome bit of kit for peoplewho need to combine their transport,with a rugged off-road work horse thatlater appears to pick friends orcustomers up for a night out or ameeting.
MechanicsIn the heart of the beast is a 3.0-litredirect-injection 4 cylinder turbo-dieselengine. In its standard form thisproduces a reasonable 130 bhp, butin the model we tested, a Prodriveperformance package was addedwhere, with a flick of a switch, it upsthe power to 153 bhp. On the roadthis extra power is immediatelynoticeable and it chops about 4seconds of the 0 to 60 mph time tojust over 12 seconds. Top speed isjust below the 100 mph mark and itcruises effortlessly at just over 70 mphat 3000 rpm all day long, giving about32 mpg on long runs and averagingout at 28mpg on our test.. Low downtorque was very good with power tospare on deep muddy tracks in lowratio 4x4. The Isuzu Denver Max wasvoted in 2005 ‘Tow Car of the Year –Utility Class’ which underlines issuperb power and towing credentials.
Power is transmitted through a 5speed manual gearbox to a limited
slip-differential which increases allround traction, particularly in difficultterrain. The gear change is preciseand very smooth allowing easymovement throughout the gears.Dashboard mounted switches allowsfinger tip control moving between 2and 4 wheel drive. You can switchbetween the two drives in high ratioup to 60 mph but if you wish toengage low ratio then you must cometo a halt and then engage.
The Denver Max has a separatechassis which gives great rigid bodystrength. Its power assisted rack andpinion steering is precise andconsidering the size of wheels, givesgood road ‘feel’ on tarmac roads.Front suspension is through a doublewishbone and independent torsion barwhich soaks up the bumps off-roadbut can give a ‘choppy’ ride on sometarmac surfaces. Rear suspension isthrough standard semi-elliptical rearsprings and gas-filled dampers whichallows long suspension travel andexcellent weight carrying ability.
Cab comfort andEquipmentAs you approach the Denver Max forthe first time you are struck by theamount of chrome trim over the lights,mirrors, bumpers and side steps.There is a lot of external flash! As youopen the wide front door and slideinside you are quickly aware of theroomy cab which allows good headand leg room. The rear doors arequite narrow in comparison and ingetting out you can easily catch yourfeet but there has to be a trade off for
front seats.
There are ample goodies, which comeas standard, including electricwindows and mirrors, air conditioning,CD/Radio, 4 speed wipers and plentyof storage space. The driving positiongives a good view over the longbonnet but there is plenty ofadjustment from the tiltable steeringcolumn and rake and reach from theseats. However, the seats are too flat
Total Arb February 20074
The Isuzu RodeoDenver MaxHugh Barnes
A powerful dual cab pick-up truck which can cope with all terrain, offers good comfort, great looksand will appeal to both recreational and working country users.
TOT0207-ISUZU P4:TOTAL ARB ED MASTER 16/2/07 16:41 Page 4
the amount of space available in the
Total Arb February 2007 5
and barely adequate. I found myselfand passenger being thrown aroundon every corner, even at low speedsbut at least I had the comfortablesteering wheel to grip Theinstruments are well placed with 3dials, a rev counter, a speedometerand the final one for fuels and enginetemperature.
Safety is excellent with twin airbags,side protection door beams andspecial crush zones designed into thebody. An ABS braking system with anelectronic brakeforce distribution toeven out braking throughout all fourwheels is provided as standard.
Living with the BeastFor the size of the Isuzu RodeoDenver Max, driving the truck wasvery pleasant. The power steeringmakes low speed manoeuvring easybut this is necessary as the turningcircle is limited. Power throughout therange is superb but engine noise isnoticeable and on long journeys canbe a pain. Its off-road characteristicswere second to none and on verysteep slopes gave a great sense ofcontrol. Its high ground clearanceallowed access to areas which wouldimpede most 4x4’s, again addingweight to its go anywhere ability.
Whereas the Isuzu can handle mostweights, its lack of length in its pick-upbed could be a disadvantagesometimes, if you are trying to moveanything over 6 feet in length. From anArborist point of view, this should notcause a problem as most of ourequipment will easily fit and the hardtop gives great volume and securestorage.
The Isuzu cannot be directlycompared with the “school’s specials”4x4’s, such as the Toyota Rav 4, as itis an out in out working truck withcomfort! With its long wheel base,length and width, it is not the vehicleto take into a Tesco supermarket on aSaturday morning. The turning circleis limited for urban use but in itsoff-road home, it is without equal.
Overall, if you are after a dual purposevehicle for real off-road work this is theone for you. For recreational andtowing again there is no vehicle withinthis price bracket that can surpass theIsuzu Denver Max. However, if it’s forrunning the kids to school andshopping then it will give you the‘street cred’ but it will be a handfulthrough its size and restricted turningcircle. With its great build quality, looksand practical design the Isuzu Denver
Prices start for the Isuzu RodeoDenver Max from £13,999. Rising to£20,999, the vehicle tested was£19,999.
TOT0207-ISUZU P4:TOTAL ARB ED MASTER 16/2/07 16:41 Page 5
Getting the recordstraightOver the last year the potentialimportance of biomass production hasbeen of major interest within theArboriculture industry. It could be thestart of a major new direction in whichwe must focus our industry, or it couldjust be a great idea which never getsoff the ground. However, whicheverthe case, it seems now would be agood time to set out what we meanby biomass, why we should use it andhow we can get involved for thefuture.
Biomass is the collective name for allorganic matter derived from living plantmaterial. Biomass is made ofcarbohydrates which have beencreated through the assimilation of
carbon dioxide (CO2) from theatmosphere and the capture of solarenergy during photosynthesis.Effectively, biomass can be said to benature’s way of storing solar energy inan organic usable form. As plantmaterial dies or is digested, organismsbreak down the carbohydrates, lockedinto the cells, for their energy andnutrients, and release CO2 back intothe atmosphere. This process iscalled the Carbon Cycle and hasalways been the basis for maintainingour world’s carbon balance andproviding renewable energy throughthe growth of plant life. This plant lifeor biomass has provided the energythat the human race needs to live andsurvive through food and heat.
Carbon Balance
Using recently produced biomass forenergy conversion causes no netincrease in carbon dioxide emissionsback into the atmosphere. As plantlife grows it removes the CO2 fromthe atmosphere throughphotosynthesis. If we generate energyfrom the biomass through burningthen we only release CO2 that hasrecently been captured, hence this isbeing ‘Carbon Neutral’. If we onlyused biomass for all our energyrequirements then we would not becontributing to global warming and theproblem with our rapidly changingclimate would not be occurring.
Up to 300 years ago the human racelived in a Carbon Neutral world. It wasthe advent of industrialisation and the
Total Arb February 20078
BIOMASS - the basics Hugh Barnes
What is Biomass? What is the potential for Biomass?
TOT0207-BIOMASS P8:TOTAL ARB ED MASTER 16/2/07 16:49 Page 8
Total Arb February 2007 9
discovery and use of fossil fuels whichhas altered the carbon balance.Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are allderived from plant material but this‘biomass’ lived many millions of yearsago. Fossil fuel is created when thebiomass was not broken down afterdeath, but was effectively buried withits carbohydrates still intact in an airfree environment, such as a muddylagoon. Over million of years this plantmaterial was buried deep undergroundwhere it was subjected to enormouspressure and heat which concentratedthe carbohydrates into the oil and coalwe know today. A very simplifiedanalogy of this would be if we were tolook on fossil fuels as a carbon“bank”, to which today’s society havejust found the cheque book and areon a spending spree! As we know inreal life this just cannot continue andwe as the human race are about toget the bill.
Fossil fuels hold more energy per unitweight than more recent biomass, dueto their pressurised formation.However, when we use fossil fuels,the CO2 released from combustion isan unexpected addition to our presentcarbon cycle. The CO2 released hadbeen trapped and taken out of thecarbon cycle million of years earlier.CO2 is one of the main gases in theatmosphere known as “greenhousegases”, as they trap solar energy inthe form of heat, helping to maintainthe temperature of the earth. Theproblem is that there is a very delicatebalance within our atmosphere and ifthe carbon cycle is thrown out ofbalance, then it in turn will affect thetemperature of our planet. In thecurrent case, too much ‘extra’ CO2 isbeing added to the atmosphere,trapping more heat then before andcreating our current problem of globalwarming.
The “Pros and Cons” ofBiomassBoth biomass and fossil fuels providethe same end product; namely energy.Their major difference is one of timescale. The use of recent biomassdoes not increase our greenhousegases; ie. It does not add to globalwarming.
There are four main forms of biomassin current use.
1. Wood products, the product offorestry, arboriculture and woodprocessing.2. Energy crops, specific crops grownfor their fast growth and high energyyield.3. Organic waste, the surplus organicmaterial not used during harvesting orfood processing.4. Industrial waste, the surplus organicmaterial left over during industrial orchemical processes.
Our main interest within theArboriculture industry is energyproduction from wood and whether itis or going to be commercially viableto undertake. The market is just
beginning and a definite answer maynever be available. The market will besubject to major changes which willprobably be outside our control, suchas Government subsidies which maybe here one minute and gone thenext. At present each project has tobe determined on the current andshort term projected market and againthis may not be truly economically orenvironmentally viable.
The exact importance of biomass asan energy source for the future isdifficult to assess. At present, figuresfrom the USA show that in 2002Biomass provided 3% of all energyconsumed even beating hydroelectricpower (2.6%). There is at present ahuge gap between our energyconsumption and potential suppliesfrom renewable supplies, such asbiomass. The only definite point isthat fossil fuels will run out andcoupled with the problems fromclimate change, any form ofrenewable energy will gain inimportance and will become moreeconomically viable.
Biomass is probably the mostimportant development within ourindustry at present and coupled withthe state of our planet will ‘grow’ ininfluence on our lives. In a futurearticle we will look at the energypotential from all forestry biomass andthe economics behind each source.The Forestry Commission has seenthe importance of biomass for thefuture and opened the BiomassEnergy Centre for help andinformation, or visitwww.biomassenergycentre.org.uk
ReferencesNational Energy Foundationwww.nef.org.ukwww.oregon.gov/energy
s
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Total Arb February 200712
The amount of times over the last 30 years I have heard the statement “I don’t know what’s wrong with this chain, I’ve only just put it on the saw and it’s cutting awful”, or words to that effect. There is probably one easy answer to that statement, “take a look at your guide bar”.
There are many people who take their guide bar for granted, they do not realise how important it is to the performance of the saw, they don’t understand the relationship it has with the chain that is fitted to it. It may be, unfortunately, that some people just can’t be bothered. If you fit into the “can’t be bothered” category then I’m afraid I can’t help you. But if you want your saw to cut like it was designed to then read on. You could fit the most technically advanced chain available today to your saw, but unless you fit it to a guide bar in a well maintained state you may as well put your fuel in your car and use a hand saw or an axe. I was going to write an article on chain maintenance for this issue of Total Arb, but then decided that you need your bars in a good condition before you can put a well maintained chain on it. It makes sense to put maintenance in a logical order, so let’s sort the bars out and look at the chains in a future issue.There are two main categories of guide bar available for us to use today; solid nose (Photo 1) and sprocket nose (Photo 2).
Depending upon manufacturer and the task you require the saw for, you will find many different construction and design types within the two categories. We will only be looking at the maintenance for the two types
of nose at this stage. A solid nose, as the name suggests has no moving parts, it con-sists of a shaped tip with an integral groove all the way around it for the chain to follow. Because of the heat generated at the nose along with the extreme pressure exerted at this point with chain tension the steel used to construct the main part of the bar would wear very quickly and the life span of the bar would be minimal. Therefore, a very hard metal called “Stelite” has been inserted around the nose in order to minimize wear, this requires little maintenance; we will look at this later in this article. Although a very effective design of nose it does generate a couple of problems, one is that the saw will be slightly slower on acceleration and the second is that you lose some power be-cause of the friction around the nose. These problems can be greatly reduced by using a bar with a sprocket nose fitted. It basically consists of a sprocket for the chain to run around and bearings to let the sprocket run smoothly. This reduces the power needed to drive the chain therefore giving faster ac-celeration and utilizing more power from the engine for cutting.
Let us now look at the general checks and maintenance for your guide bar.
CLEAN IT
The first thing we need to do after we have taken the bar off the saw is give it a general clean with a rag or paper towel to remove any surface debris or oil. It is a wise precau-tion to wear some form of glove for any op-eration handling the guide bar. I have seen some nasty cuts to fingers and hands over the years, in one incident the cut managed to reach the bones in his fingers as he tried to stop a wet, oily bar from slipping from his hand by gripping tighter. Cleaning the outer surface should do at this stage.
Clean out grooves & oil holes The groove in the bar should be cleaned out using a groove cleaning tool always working away from the sprocket nose; this ensures no debris is forced into the sprocket nose bear-ings if a sprocket nose is fitted (Photo 3). The groove cleaner in the foreground of the photo shows the hook used to scrape the debris out of the groove. Make a couple of passes down each side of the bar to ensure you have removed all of the debris. Make a mental note of how much debris there was in the groove as this is a good indication of the groove depth. The component on the
chain that sits in the groove is called the drive link; the “pointy bit” at the bottom of the drive link is called the “tang”. One of the purposes of the drive link tang is to remove debris (wood dust mixed with oil) from the groove as it is being generated. It should not remove all of the debris from the groove as the tang should not touch the bottom of the groove. This is important to ensure the chain works with the bar as it was designed to. The components on the sides of the chain are designed to sit squarely on the rails. The drive links that sit in the groove should be suspended in the groove. The debris you are removing is the stuff the drive link can’t reach in the bottom of the groove. So, if after a few hours use of your saw, you discover no debris in the bottom of the groove whilst using the groove cleaner this would be an indication that your groove has become too shallow and your bar is worn out. The last cleaning exercise is to clean out the oil holes on either side of the bar where it sits against the saw body. These must be clean to allow correct oil flow into the bar for correct lubrication of the bar and chain. You can push the debris through the hole into the groove and then remove with your groove cleaner (Photo 4).
STRAIGHTNESS OF THE BAR
Once clean, we need to check a few things to make sure it is suitable to refit to the saw. Firstly we need to check it is straight. This can be done by holding the bar up and look-ing along its length. You will notice if the bar is bent or not. A good indication that a bar is OK is that you can see daylight along the entire length of the groove when you look along its length. Much the same as looking
Photo 2
Photo 1
Photo 3
Photo 4
Guide Bar MaintenancePart 1
by Ian Morgan (B.A.S.E UK)
TOT0207-GUIDEBAR P12:TOTAL ARB ED MASTER 19/2/07 08:21 Page 12
Total Arb February 2007 13
through a straight tunnel, you will be able to see out of the other end. You will not see
right through it if the tunnel has a bend in it (Photo 5).
CONVEX BARS
To ensure that your chain is in constant con-tact with the bar rails around its entire length there must be no dipping on the bar. If you look along its length you should see a gentle “bow” from one end to the other (Photo 6);
this profile must be maintained through the entire life of the bar, bear this in mind when you are carrying out any filing operations during the rest of the maintenance.
DIPPED RAILS
As I have just mentioned dipping we should deal with this next. This occurs on a guide bar because of two main reasons. The first, is where you get a concave area on the guide bar rails, this can be isolated to only an inch or so or to an entire side of the guide bar. It is generally caused by continuous use of one part of the guide bar for a prolonged length of time (Photo 7), for example using
the first 5 or 6 inches of the bar where it comes out of the body of the saw for cutting a trailer load of old 3 inch diameter fencing stakes and it literally wears away the bar in that area, this photo shows this scenario
exactly. Operating the saw with a blunt chain will also have the same effect as the tendency would be to push down onto the saw with extra pressure therefore wearing away the guide bar quicker.A second area of the guide bar which is prone to dipped rails is on the underside of the guide bar immediately behind the nose
(Photo 8). This cause is easy to diagnose as one of two reasons, the first and most common is a slack chain. As the slack chain travels around the nose of the bar it “slaps” the underside of the bar immediately behind the nose and wears the rails at the point it slaps. You must therefore keep the correct tension on the chain at all times. The photo actually shows wear behind the nose on the top and the bottom, this is because the bar should be rotated each time you remove it for service, this ensures even wear on both sides of the bar during it’s life. This action was being followed with this bar because we have wear on both sides behind the sprocket nose. But remember, this dipping will only have occurred on the underside of the bar. The second is where the tip of the saw has been used continuously for “snedding” or the removal of branches from felled trees during manual forest harvesting operations. The ac-tion needed to rectify this problem would be bar replacement.
BURRS
You can expect burrs to form on the outside corners of the guide bar as a sign of normal use. The relationship that the chain and guide bar has together is a metal to metal contact. The chain on a medium sized chain-saw can be traveling at 50 miles per hour; that is 50 miles of chain traveling around the bar every hour, you must expect wear on the guide bar rails. Burrs form on the outside corners of the rails, you may not be able to see them when they are small but this is the best time to remove them, before they get to large. I would not advise feeling for them with your bare thumb or finger as they can be incredibly sharp, say no more. The best
way is to use the end of a flat tool, screw-driver, groove cleaner, flat file etc. Hold your chosen tool on the side of the bar and then slowly try to slide it off the edge of the guide bar; if there are no burrs present the tool will just slide off the edge of the bar; if however there are burrs present you will feel them as the tool is prevented from sliding off the edge (Photo 9). Removing them is straight forward; hold the bar in a vice, this will give you more accurate and precise filing. Make
sure you do not position the vice jaws too close to the edge of the bar as you may pinch the rails together. You should remove the burrs by filing at an angle of 45 degrees (Photo 10) and by drawing the file along the full length of the bar with each stroke; this will keep an even profile to the bar. If you file just the areas along the bar that are starting to develop burrs you will generate very uneven edges to the rails. Once you have removed the burrs, two or three extra strokes will remove the sharp corner on the rail and give you a beveled edge, not too much though or you will reduce the width of the rail, just enough so as you can see a shiny line along the corner as the light catches the beveled edge (Photo 11), this helps to reduce the time scale in which further burrs will develop
In our April issue of Total Arb I will be looking at the final maintenance tasks to ensure your bar is in tip top condition ready to fit your perfectly sharpened chain to which we will be looking at in the following issue.
Oregon produce an excellent book entitled “Oregon Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety Manual”; a free colour download is available from www.oregonchain.co.uk You will find the download on the left hand side of their home page.
As Oregon strongly promote the safe and correct maintenance and use of chainsaws they will, in association with Total Arb have a special offer on chainsaw files in the next issue of the magazine. Look for part 2 of this article in the next issue to find the special offer.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Photo 5
Photo 6
Photo 7
Photo 9
Photo 8
Photo 10
Photo 11
Guide Bar Maintenance
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Total Arb February 200716
The world is full of trees andarboriculture is aninternational industry withmany opportunities abroad.However, some areas of theworld still need skilled help aslocal contractors just cannotcope, or in some cases don’texist to undertake difficultlarge scale jobs. It is fortunatethat in the UK we have thisexperience and companiessuch as ArboretumInternational, headed up byPaul Hanson, who can offerthe expertise to help inunexpected areas of theworld.
Such a scenario unfoldedwhen Arboretum Internationalreceived a call from an oilcompany based in EquatorialGuinea, about some large figtrees which had overstayedtheir welcome! Afterdiscussions between PaulHanson and the oil company,it was decided to dispatch ateam of three, Matthew Wadefrom Arboretum International,Terry Crick from Base UK andKevin Wholey, who is anindependent training assessorand Arborist. The work wasscheduled to start inDecember 2006, andequipment was decided uponand shipped out to be readyfor the beginning of themonth. So begins the tale.
The Project Two huge 60m high African Fig trees had been shedding branches onto housingwithin the oil company’s compound. It was decided that there was no optionexcept to take down the trees, due to the safety issues (Photo 1).
The Scale of the problem When the team were confronted by just how large these trees were and theirdifficult position, it did require considerable thought and all their experience tocarry out the work (Photos 2 & 3).
Working under African skiesTerry Crick
1
2
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The MethodsOnce the method was agreed and theteam happy, the first step was to gainaccess to the massive trunks and theirroot buttresses (Photo 4) . There weresmaller Mango trees entwined with the
Figs along with lots of unwelcomewildlife, such as Black Mamba snakesand biting ants and spiders. Therewas one particularly nasty beetlecalled a blister bug which if trod onreleased a fluid which immediatelycaused huge blisters! (Photo 5)
The first tree had to be dismantleddue to the close proximity of thehouses in the compound, and aHobbs lowering device was to beused to assist in the lowering of themassive branches. The only problemwas that the trunks with theirbuttresses meant that fitting theHobbs device required some lateralthinking! The buttresses had to be‘windowed’ or chamfered to allow thefitting strap to be attached to the tree(Photo 6).
The dismantling was slow, mainly dueto the massive size of the tree and theequipment that was needed. On anaverage day during the project, withthe temperatures were over 100degrees F and humidity at nearly100%, the team were each drinkingup to 10 bottles of water a day (Photo7).
The second tree was in an easierposition and it was possible to free felllarge sections (Photo 8).
With the tree finally down there wasstill an amazing amount of work incross cutting just for the local labourto be able to remove the debris (Photo9). The enormous trunk andbuttresses also had to be taken downwhich was slow work, again just dueto the size each section had to be cutaway from the main trunk (Photo 10).Finally it was completed, after 2 weeksof very hard but very satisfying work(Photo 11).
I would like to thank Paul Hanson ofArboretum International for arrangingand organising this monumentalproject.
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In my last article I outlined thepossibilities for investing in UK forestryand some of the incentives for doingso.
One of the factors fuelling interest inUK forestry is the widely anticipatedrise in timber prices, which, ifsustained, would obviously enhancereturns. Whilst it may be true that UKforestry is currently enjoying healthyprospects, it is still a relative minnowinternationally and domestic conditionsare influenced mainly by those of thefar larger Scandinavian market. If themuch-touted rise in timber pricesdoes not materialise, overall returnswill remain fairly modest.
Another lure has been the prospect ofa lucrative bonus from the newemissions trading market. Howeverthe government has recently dealt ablow to this speculation by confirmingthat UK forestry activities are unlikelyto qualify as carbon offset schemes,because they do not provide“additionality” – i.e. it is not clear thatthey would not have happenedanyway and they do not contributesignificantly to halting deforestation.
In this article I will look at investmentopportunities in the global market,where more exotic species andeconomies of scale can offer someenticing opportunities.
However, before I do, it is worthspending a moment to clarify what wemean by “forestry investment”. This isextremely important for investorstaking on the additional risks of foreignownership.
As a forestry investors what is itexactly that you own a share of?
� the land on which trees are grown?
� the growing trees themselves?
� the company, which manages the trees?
� the company, which processes the timber into products?
Each one of these has distinctattributes and employs capital in verydifferent ways; Any one or combination of the aboveis possible and each has its ownmerits and risks.
So the first thing an investor needs toconsider is; - what exactly is he or shehoping to achieve?If the answer is to mitigate inheritancetax, then UK forestry provides themost obvious solution – and thatmeans owning the growing trees,since it is only this aspect whichqualifies for special treatment. If the answer is to maintain capitalvalue without risking loss, then owningland may be a steady bet.If the answer is to speculate onsubstantial profits, then there are aninfinite number of opportunities to do this in any industry sector.
One of the main reasons to considerinvesting in forestry, is exactly becauseit does not behave like stocks and
shares yet it has an intrinsic ability toprovide "real growth" through thephysical growth of the asset but alsofrom the tendency for timber prices tokeep up with inflation over the longterm.
In other words owning growing trees, ifyou will forgive the unavoidable pun, isin effect a natural and very simple“hedge fund”.
The price to pay for this valuablebenefit is that trees cannot simply besold like stocks and shares. Thereare two aspects of this. Firstly there isthe difficulty in finding a buyer andagreeing a price. Secondly there is thedifficulty in dealing in small,manageable units.
Unfortunately the easiest ways toinvest do not involve much ownershipof growing trees. If you buy shares inthe biggest companies involved in the
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Global ForestryinvestmentDavid Vincent
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forestry sector, such as theScandinavian giant, Stora Enso forexample, you can expect a similarroller coaster ride to that of any otherstockmarket investment. You couldchoose to invest in their fixed intereststock, rather than ordinary shares, butagain this will have the samecharacteristics as any other fixedinterest security. In other words, thereis nothing that special about theforestry sector if you stick with thestandard investment vehicles.
This is because listed companiesinevitably attempt to "add value" bydiversifying their activities. In the UKFountains plc, is the largest and bestknown listed company in the forestrysector but actually it depends more onits parks and railway line maintenancebusinesses than it does on forestmanagement.
There are a few companies oninternational markets, which are moredirectly involved in the growing oftrees. However the basic fact remainsthat either ordinary shares or fixedinterest securities in listed companies,will generally react in line with the restof their respective markets. Incontrast, the main attraction ofinvesting directly in growing trees isthat it is an investment, which is moreor less unaffected by either stock orbond markets - or any other assetclass come to that.
Active investors may be aware of theintroduction of Real Estate InvestmentTrusts (REITs), which are based on theUS and Australian model. Theseprovide a half way house betweendirect ownership of property andcompany shares and have beenintroduced to stimulate privateinvestment in the property sector. Inthis context, it is worth noting that“property” could include forestry,although there are no signs of anysuch fund appearing in the UK at leastin the short term
In the US and Canada there are acouple of REITs, which are classifiedas forestry investment. However, as isthe case with property investment ingeneral these funds tend to performas you would expect from a hybrid –somewhere between the steadinessof direct forestry investment and thevolatility of the stockmarket.
It is also worth mentioning that,particularly with the favourable dollarexchange rate, it is possible to pick up
a sizeable acreage in the US forrelatively small amounts – property hasrecently been advertised at less than$50,000 ( about £25,000) for morethan 100 acres. Whether thisrepresents a good investmentopportunity is another matter entirely.
Australia has quite a developedagribusiness investment sector, whichoffers considerable tax breaks todomestic investors. Timbercorp isperhaps the largest and best known ofthese. Several schemes have beenestablished, offering retail investors theopportunity to own individual plotswithin a commercially managedplantation – mainly of either eucalyptusor radiata pine.
Similar schemes have also recentlybeen established in Ireland and NewZealand as well as European moneyfor projects in South America andimminently a pine project in Ugandabacked by a newly formed UKcompany.
However, with their colonial history inAsia as well as environmental concernand natural entrepreneurship, it is theDutch who, since the early 80s haveled the way in creating investmentopportunities in a new and potentiallylucrative market – plantation growntropical hardwoods.
Whilst the majority of hardwoods onlythrive in complex ecosystems, onespecies in particular stands out for itsability to be grown commercially –teak.
Admittedly monoculture is not ideal increating biodiversity. However, themost important aspect of creating newcommercial sources of tropical timberis that they help stop furtherdecimation of natural forests, byproviding alternative, legal employmentand sources of wealth for localcommunities.
Investment in the main natural teakproducing countries, Myanmar andIndia is not possible but teak has beensuccessfully introduced in Latin andSouth America.Costa Rica and Panama providegenerous tax concessions for foreigninvestors. However, according to asurvey by the Inter American InvestmentBank in 2002, Brazil provides the mostfavourable conditions for forestryinvestment, with vast expertise and oneof the largest and fastest growingeconomies in the world.
Admittedly there had been a fewscams and failures in the early yearsof teak investment schemes but therisk of future problems should bereduced significantly since the DutchFinancial Services Authority broughtsuch schemes under their wing.
The largest operator in this market isFloresteca (see www.floresteca.comfor an informative video), which hasbeen funded mainly through Dutchinvestment. It acquired about 50,000hectares of exhausted cattle ranchingcountry in the Mato Grosso, south ofthe main Amazon, in 1992 and has sofar converted over 30,000 hectares toteak, whilst preserving 12,000 ha as aprotected reserve. It providesvaluable employment to over 1,200locals and is currently the onlyproducer of FSC certified plantationgrown teak in the world.
One fund registered in the Isle Of Manhas been offering experienced UKinvestors the opportunity to buy unitsin a portfolio of plantations managedby Floresteca since 2001. Unit pricesin the current share offering haveincreased by 30% over the last 2years (31/12/04 to 31/12/06).
Unless you have other motives orparticular expertise, forestry should beconsidered as part of a broad,diversified portfolio. A good rule ofthumb is never to risk more than youcould comfortably afford to lose in anyone venture - and of course alwaysseek professional advice from.
In conclusion, the UK offers specificinvestors a chance to safeguardwealth for future generations, awelcome haven from the vagaries of aturbulent stockmarket and anadditional interest for those wishing formore hands on involvement. However,global markets may provide someinteresting opportunities for moregeneral investment objectives, whilstalso offering the possibility of a morevaluable contribution to the fightagainst global warming and third worldpoverty.
Whilst inevitably this brief article willpose many more questions than it hasanswered, I hope it serves to establishthat there are literally a growingnumber of opportunities for theexperienced and shrewd investor tocombine an interest in forestry orbroader environmental aims with arequirement for sound financialreturns.
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The recent gales in January have seensome frantic activity in theArboricultural Industry during theclear-up from the storm. In somecases an ill wind can reap benefits forsome! However, as usual it alsoillustrates how much work we muststill do as an industry to rid ourselvesof our cowboy cousins. After thestorm the media was full of stories ofthe white van and chainsaw brigadedescending on unfortunatehomeowners to ‘lend’ assistance, butat a price.
As usual we can keep blaming thecowboys but in numerous cases thehomeowners just don’t know who toring when an emergency tree problemarises. In this case it just shows howlittle impact our industry has had onthe conscience and perception of thegeneral public. The reason for this ispartially historic but also stems fromour inability as an industry to promoteourselves and our special expertise.Historically, most people outside of ourindustry still associate any tree workwith ‘tree surgeons’. Since theadoption of the word Arboriculture todefine our industry over fifteen yearsago, we have yet to establish our newidentity with the public at large.
Within the confines of this magazineand our industry, I know am preachingto the converted. What we need is toexpand outside of our cosyenvironment and make our mark withthe general public. To this end, our‘Find an Arborist’ campaign isdesigned to provide the general publicwith easy access to information on allareas of expertise within the tree careworld. The problem with this lies ingetting the message across to analready information-saturated generalpublic.
A Possible Way ForwardOver the past 6 months, our generalmedia, TV and newspapers havebeen highlighting the climate change
and carbon footprint problems facingour government and other worldleaders. While some of this reportingis confused and in some casesdeliberately scare-mongering, thebottom line is that we all must reduceour carbon emissions. The role of theTree in this in this scenario is beingclosely examined and promoted bythe media as one of the easiest,simplest solutions through their abilityof trees to act as a carbon ‘sink’.Even last week our esteemed PrimeMinister, Tony Blair, was forced by themedia to invest in a tree to help offsethis carbon production from all hislong-haul flights!
It is the natural process ofphotosynthesis, where the energy ofthe sun is captured by leaves andcombined with carbon dioxide toproduce carbohydrates. Thecarbohydrates are the building blocksof cellular construction of starch,cellulose and sugars which produce
the growth of all plants and trees. It isthis ability to remove carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere, hence the term‘sink’, which the media have graspedand they see as a method in which tosave the world!
There is the old saying that anypublicity is good publicity. I do believethat this is the case for theArboricultural industry. All this ‘newgreen’ media interest is providing anew focus on the importance of trees,which will in turn lead to a greaterinterest and understanding from thegeneral public. It is up to our industryto ‘cash in’ on this new awarenessand forge the link in the public’s mind,that Trees and Arboriculture aresynonymous with the growth and wellbeing of Trees. If we can cement thislink so that if anyone has a problem orneeds information on trees, then thefirst stop on the computer throughGoogle or in the Yellow pages will beArborists!
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Maintaining theMomentum With good general media coverage onthe environment and trees, we all havea responsibility to further promote ourindustry and our importance tomaintaining and creating effective treegrowth. The importance of individualurban trees should not beunderestimated for their ability tocapture and remove Carbon Dioxide.The value of oxygen produced,carbon dioxide captured and waterrecycled in an individual urban tree,based on 50 years of growth, couldbe a high as £65,000* based oncomparable industrial costing. Foreach ton of wood produced in a tree,over 1.5 tons of Carbon Dioxide isremoved from the atmosphere. If wecan highlight this environmental impactand economic values across to thepublic, then our view of urban treescan be changed forever.
Most people only take notice of aproblem when it cost them moneypersonally. By highlighting the potentialeconomic value of trees, coupled withthe tree owner’s responsibility and theimplications of tree mismanagement,
we should begin to gain moreattention for the skills and value ofengaging a qualified Arborist.
We at Total Arb will continue to pushthe “Find an Arborist” campaignoutside of our industry and try and get
the message across to the broaderpublic’s attention. There may be newareas in which we can link with thepublic to provide high profile expertisethrough new publicity campaigns. Ifyou have any good ideas or new localschemes, please let us know.
Total Arb February 200726
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HistoryThe Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) isone of only three native conifers foundin the UK, the others being Juniperand the Yew. It is the largest andmost common of our native evergreentrees found in the UK and has animportant economic role.
The Scots Pine has the largest rangeof all conifer species. It is found in alarge band from Northern Europe allthe way across Siberia to the shoresof the Pacific Ocean. It has the abilityto withstand the icy temperatureabove the Artic Circle but can equallywell tolerate a warm climate as farsouth of Spain in Southern Europeand it grows from sea level to a heightof over 2000 meters. It wasintroduced into North America over300 years ago and has beencultivated very successfully, but overthe last 50 years it has become theAmericans tree of choice as a
Christmas tree! It ability to withstand avast range of climatic conditions andsoils makes the Scots Pine a trulyamazing tree.
At the end of the last Ice Ageapproximately 10,000 years ago, asthe glaciers retreated northward, theScots Pine colonised the newlyrevealed soils of northern Europe. Asthe climate warmed the trees movedfurther north and into what is now
Scotland. At their peak, they hadcovered over 1.5 million
hectares, what is now all ofScotland. As the sea level
rose the land bridge to theEuropean mainland waslost stopping any furtherspecies invading the UKand leaving the ScotsPine the dominantconiferous species.From its peakdistribution, around4000BC, the range was
gradually reduced tocentre on the uplands of
Scotland. This is possiblydue to natural competition but
mainly through man’sclearance. Today, this great forest
has been reduced to only 1%,approximately 17,000 hectares, of itsoriginal size with remnants scatteredthroughout Scotland.
The Varying Shapes ofthe Scots PineWith their vast range of habitats andtheir ability to tolerate extremes ofclimate and soils the shape of theScots Pine varies considerably.Research in Scotland hasdistinguished eleven different growthshapes, ranging from tall straightsingle trunk trees to multi-trunk treesand low spread-shaped trees. Inmainland Europe, Scots Pine treescan grow to over 36 metres high with a conical shaped form but in Scotland
some trees only make 20 metres withdisrupted shapes. The reason will befound in soil and climatic conditionsbut the tree illustrates that it is asurvivor as it can cope with manydifferent growth factors. Most treeshave a 250 to 300 year life cycle butin exceptional cases, trees over 500years old have been found.
Part of the success of the Scots Pineis that it can develop different rootsystems depending on theenvironmental factors. In dry regions adeep tap root can develop, whilst inthin but waterlogged soils, as onhighland moors, a shallow fibrousspread of roots allows the capture ofextra nutrients. The Scots Pine also
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The Scots PineHugh Barnes
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develops a mycorrhizal associationwith fungi to increase nutrient uptakethrough a symbiotic relationship. Over200 different fungi have beenidentified with trees in Scotland andeach can provide a specific boast tothe tree. The fungi invade thegrowing root tips of the Scots Pineand pass specific nutrients, whichhave been extracted from the soil bythe fungi, into the tree through theroots. In exchange the fungi extractcarbohydrates from the tree,produced through photosynthesiswithin the tree, which help with energyproduction within the fungi.
The bark of the Scots Pine is verydistinct in older trees, being orangebrown in colour from half way uplength of the trunk. The bark in oldertrees is also deeply fissured withplates or flakes developing over thetrunk. This gives a strangereddish/brown colour hovering effectwhen a stand of trees is viewed froma distance. The fissured bark on the
lower trunk is grey brown which allowsgood lichen development and mosttrees in pollution free areas, are heavilycovered with lichens and moss.
The needles of the Scots Pine occurin pairs, are blue green in colour andgrow up to 5 cm long. They areusually shed every two to three yearsand turn yellow in autumn before theydrop. Flowers, both male and femaleoccur on the same tree, with thefemale flowers at the top on the topbranches and the males clusteredtogether on lower branches. They arewind pollinated, hence the femaleflowers position on the most exposedarea. Once pollinated the femaleflower takes two years to develop intothe cone which opens during thesecond year to release its seeds whilestill on the tree. The tiny winged seedsare dispersed by the wind betweenDecember to March and can becarried up to 200 meters from theparent. Large scale conedevelopment on the Scots Pine does
not really start until the tree is over 60years old. The seeds are lightsensitive and only germinate in openspace; hence, no regeneration occursunder their own canopy as Scots Pineis shade intolerant
Practical Uses of ScotsPineThe Scots Pine is one of the mostwidely distributed trees in the worldand is grown in cultivation in thetemperate zones of both the northernand southern hemisphere. It is acommercially important forestry cropwith its timber properties in gooddemand. In cultivation it has a rotationof between 60 to120 years dependingon region. The further north the treesare planted the slower the growth androtation.
The timber qualities of the Scots Pineare very good, being strong,lightweight and durable when treated.The wood in the UK is known as dealor redwood and has numerous usesfrom furniture making, general buildingto telegraph pole and old ships masts.The timber is also used for pulp andchipboard manufacture.
In pre-industrial times the Scots Pinewas used to produce resin from whichnumerous uses are derived. Thetrees trunks had a thin diagonal cutplaced into the bark with a containerplaced at the bottom of the cut. Theresin was then distilled into turpentineand pitch. Medicinal oils were alsoextracted and used as adecongestant and a disinfectant. Thispractice has nearly finished due to theintroduction of cheaper and easierobtainable raw materials.
In the USA over 35 million trees areharvested each year for the Christmastree market. The tendency of the needles not to drop and the variedand interesting shapes of the treeshas made them the USA favourite.Further, the tree is also use inornamental landscaping due to itsunpredictable mature shape and itsability to cope with most groundconditions. It is easy to maintain,requiring very little pruning and it isquite resistant to pests and disease.
References :www.treesforlife.org.ukwww.forestry.gov.ukThe Royal Forestry SocietyDarrol. D. Skilling US Forestry Dept.www.conifers.org
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OBMtec -RTE are the Europeandistributors for the Morbark andPeterson range of tub grinders,horizontal grinders, slow speedshredders and wood chippingmachinery used for the processing ofgreen waste, wood waste, barkwaste, tree roots, stumps and muchmore.Founded in 1979 by Mark and HannieVan Der Galien, and now employingapproximately Fifty members of staff,OBMtec has established an enviablereputation for supplying high qualitymachinery coupled with an excellentservice and spare parts support fromits headquarters in the Netherlands.In order to enhance the level ofservice still further, OBMtec is pleasedto announce that demonstrations,sales, spare parts and serviceenquiries for the UK and Ireland cannow be handled by their recentlyappointed UK sales manager, Mr
Richard Smith via the recentlyestablished company, OBMtec UKLtd.Based in Lincolnshire and alreadyknown to many people in the wasteindustry, Richard was formerly themanaging director for an importer anddistributor of wood recyclingmachinery and has, over many years,accumulated a wealth of knowledgeand experience from within theindustry. Richard believes that thequality, reliability and low running costsof the machinery marketed byOBMtec will help to make it very pop-ular with local authorities, landfilloperators, waste transfer stations,wood recyclers, forestry contractorsand many other types of business.Both new and demonstrationmachinery are readily available fromOBMtec’s UK depot located nearLincoln and also from the samelocation, spare parts can now be
supplied for the many Morbark andPeterson machines already operatingwithin the UK and Ireland.Another increasingly popular aspect ofOBMtec’s business activities is theextensive range of pre-ownedequipment available from stock, detailsof which can be found on the website.OBMtec will be exhibiting at severalmajor trade shows throughout 2007and in addition to this, machinerydemonstrations will be undertakenthroughout the UK. For further detailsof these events, please contact us onthe details below.
OBMtec UK – Tel 01522 320929Fax 01522 321454E-mail – [email protected]
NewsWe look at the latest from the world of Arboriculture
OBMtec-RTE Opens New UK Base
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Biomass Energy Centre launchedThe Tree Council’s ‘in-house’magazine, Tree News, is re-launchedin early April with a new team and anew look. Originally published as amembers’ newsletter in the late1980s, Tree News graduallydeveloped into a glossy, bi-annualmagazine celebrating the diversity ofarboriculture, recreation andindustry as well as strictly biologicalconcerns. Post-millenium, thegenerous sponsorship of leadingmagazine publisher Felix Dennis –who is also famously plantingthousands of acres of new, mixedwoodland in the West Midlands –enabled production values to takeanother quantum leap, and with neweditor Daniel Butler and designerAndrew Riley, this trend will continueapace.
Butler, who himself manageswoodland and a smallholding inPowys, is perhaps better known as acolumnist for Country Living andregular wildlife correspondent for TheDaily Telegraph, and promises toincrease the campaigning work ofTree News. His first issue as editorwill, for example, contain acontroversial feature on the way someUK timber importers are flouting theFSC protocols for sustainablehardwood products.
Other features in the Spring/Summerissue include a survey of wood fuelsfor domestic and commercial use, alook at one of Britain’s oldest yewsand an account of how woodlandwas brought back from the edge ofextinction in the Orkneys. Individualcopies of Tree News are availablefrom major newsagents at £3.70, oron subscription from 0845 126 0396.
You can also find out more from theirwebsite, www.treenews.org.uk
TREE NEWS TAKES OFF
Forest Research is establishing a ‘onestop shop’ able to provide advice andguidance - signposting to otherspecialised sources of advice asnecessary - on a wide range ofbiomass fuels and conversiontechnologies. This initiative has beenundertaken in support ofGovernment’s response torecommendations made by theBiomass Task Force.The initial focus will be on woodfueland some energy crops, drawing onresults and knowledge accumulatedover many years by staff linked to ourown Woodfuel Research Centre. Over the coming months we willdevelop links with experts in othersectors of the bio-energy industry,including waste management, andestablish an information servicededicated to biomass derived heatand energy technologies and supplychains. Information will be provided viathe above website and helpline.The services provided by the BiomassEnergy Centre will complement thefunctions of the National Non-FoodCrops Centre (NNFCC) whichpromotes and advises on the wholerange of non-food uses of crops. TheNNFCC has particular expertise indevelopment of markets for farmcrops which include their use for fueland energy. The Biomass EnergyCentre and NNFCC will work closelytogether with appropriate signpostingto each others' activities.
The Biomass Energy Centre (BEC) willbe owned and managed by theForestry Commission, via ForestResearch. A steering groupcomprised of representatives from thebiomass industry and related sectorswill oversee the development of theBEC and bring with them their own
expertise that the BEC will draw on.The capability of the BEC will increaseover the coming months as thenetwork of Biomass experts linked tothe BEC develops.
Once fully operational the BEC will:
� Act as a single point of contact on biomass providing links to more specialised sources of information, including other renewables technologies
� Be staffed by expert advisers (contactable now)
� Provide technical and scientific advice and best practice guidance on technologies, environmental issues and funding
� Have a clear focus on market development
� Link development to assessment of barriers and risks, including environmental aspects of land management
� Help land managers to optimise benefits, including the management of woodlands to improve biodiversity while providing revenue from biomass
� Actively engage with regional and national information providers, supplying them with core information and responding to their specific information needs.
Further details on the Biomass EnergyCentre will be posted on this page asthey become available, [email protected] ortelephone Andy Hall on 07771 810130 or Ian Tubby on 01420 526227.
Website:www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk
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Trees provide significant benefits toour homes and cities, but when treesfall and injure people or damageproperty, they are liabilities. Takingcare of tree hazards makes yourproperty safer and prolongs the life ofthe tree.Trees are an important part of ourworld. They offer a wide range ofbenefits to the environment andprovide tremendous beauty.
However, trees may be dangerous.Trees or parts of trees may fall andcause injury to people or damage toproperty. We call trees in suchsituations hazardous, to signify the riskinvolved with their presence. Whileevery tree has the potential to fall, onlya small number actually hit somethingor someone. It is an owner’s responsibility toprovide for the safety of trees on his or
her property. This brochure providessome tips for identifying the commondefects associated with tree hazards.However, evaluating the seriousnessof these defects is best done by aprofessional arborist. Regular tree carewill help identify hazardous trees andthe risk they present. Once the hazardis recognized, steps may be taken toreduce the likelihood of the tree fallingand injuring someone.
Recognizing Tree HazardsThe International Society of Arboriculture is a worldwide professional organisation dedicated tofostering an appreciation for trees and to promoting research, technology, and the professionalpractise of Arboriculture. To this end the society’s website is full of useful information for all who havean interest in Trees and can be visited at www.isa-arbor.com . The following article is a good illustration of their work.
Tree Hazard Checklist
Consider these questions:
� Are there large dead branches in the tree?
� Are there detached branches hanging in the tree?
� Does the tree have cavities or rotten wood along the trunk or in major branches?
� Are mushrooms present at the base of the tree?
� Are there cracks or splits in the trunk or where branches are attached?
� Have any branches fallen from the tree?
� Have adjacent trees fallen over or died?
� Has the trunk developed a strong lean?
� Do many of the major branches arise from one point on the trunk?
� Have the roots been broken off, injured, or damaged by lowering the soil level, installing pavement, repairing sidewalks, or digging trenches?
� Has the site recently been changed by construction, raising the soil level, or installing lawns?
� Have the leaves prematurely developed an unusual colour or size?
� Have trees in adjacent wooded areas been removed?
� Has the tree been topped or otherwise heavily pruned?
Defects in Urban Trees
The following are defects or signs ofpossible defects in urban trees
1. regrowth from topping, line clearance, or other pruning
2. electrical line adjacent to tree
3. broken or partially attached branch
4. open cavity in trunk or branch
5. dead or dying branches
6. branches arising from a single point on the trunk
7. decay and rot present in old wounds
8. recent change in grade or soil level, or other construction
Defects in Rural Trees
The following are defects or signs ofpossible defects in rural trees
1. recent site construction, grading and tree removal, clearing of forests for development
2. previous tree failures in the local area
3. tree leaning near a target
4. forked trunk; branches and stems equal in size
5. wet areas with shallow soil
Managing Tree Hazards
An arborist can help you manage thetrees on your property and canprovide treatments that may helpmake your tree safer, reducing the riskassociated with hazardous trees. Anarborist familiar with hazard treeevaluation may suggest one or moreof the following: � Remove the target. While a home or
a nearby power line cannot be moved, it is possible to move picnic tables, cars, landscape features, or other possible targets to prevent them from being hit by a falling tree.
� Prune the tree. Remove the defective branches of the tree. Because inappropriate pruning may weaken a tree, pruning work is best done by an ISA Certified Arborist.
� Cable and brace the tree. Provide physical support for weak branches and stems to increase their strength and stability.
� Provide routine care. Mature trees need routine care in the form of water, fertilizer (in some cases), mulch, and pruning as dictated by the season and their structure.
� Remove the tree. Some hazardous trees are best removed. If possible, plant a new tree in an appropriate place as a replacement.
Recognizing and reducing treehazards not only increases the safetyof your property and that of yourneighbours but also improve the tree’shealth and may increase its longevity!
Hazardous Trees and Utility LinesTrees that fall into utility lines have additional serious consequences. Not only can they injure people or property near theline, but hitting a line may cause power outages, surges, fires, and other damage. Downed lines still conducting electricityare especially dangerous. A tree with a potential to fall into a utility line is a very serious situation.
TOT0207-HAZARDS P27:TOTAL ARB ED MASTER 14/2/07 10:13 Page 27
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