E6: Volume of timber brought to market per annum from English sources
Short Description
This indicator shows changes in the volume of commercial timber brought to market from woodlands in England by Forestry England from the nation’s forests, and by other managers of woodland. It is a measure of the level of sustainable management of woodland assets for economic productive purposes. The data are National Statistics from Forest Research on UK Wood Production and Trade.
Readiness and links to data
Data on the volume of timber brought to market from English sources are published annually in the Forestry Commission’s Key Performance Indicators Reports. The data shown in this indicator are set in context of overall increases in tree growth in the report for indicator E5: Percentage of the annual growth of trees in English woodlands that is harvested.
Indicator components
Figure E6: Volume of timber brought to market from English sources, 2010 to 2022
Table E6: Volume of timber brought to market from English sources, 2010 to 2022
| Year | Softwood and hardwood removals from English sources other than the nation's forests | Softwood and hardwood removals from the nation's forests managed by Forestry England |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.08 | 1.21 |
| 2011 | 1.14 | 1.25 |
| 2012 | 1.26 | 1.20 |
| 2013 | 1.32 | 1.26 |
| 2014 | 1.56 | 1.13 |
| 2015 | 1.48 | 1.09 |
| 2016 | 1.47 | 1.21 |
| 2017 | 1.53 | 1.17 |
| 2018 | 1.78 | 1.13 |
| 2019 | 1.92 | 0.97 |
| 2020 | 1.62 | 1.09 |
| 2021 | 1.60 | 0.97 |
| 2022 | 1.65 | 0.91 |
Trend description for E6
The total annual volume of softwood and hardwood timber brought to market from all sources in England has increased from 2.3 million green tonnes in 2010 to 2.6 million green tonnes in 2022. Total removals from the nation’s forests managed by Forestry England have fallen by 24.6% over this period, whereas removals from other English sources have increased by 52.5%.
Assessment of change
A decrease (deterioration) was observed for the total volume of timber brought to market per annum from all English sources (softwood and hardwood combined) over the short-term assessment period, but an increase (improvement) was seen over the medium and long-term assessment periods.
Change since 2018 has also been assessed. There has been a decrease (deterioration) in percentage of the annual growth harvested since 2018. However, this result is based on only 5 data points so should be considered as indicative and not evidence of a clear trend.
Further information on this assessment, along with details on the methodology, is provided in the Assessment background page. Summaries by 25 Year Environment Plan goal and information on indicator links are presented in the Assessment results pages.
Table E6: Assessment of change
| Component | Subcomponent | Period | Date range | Percentage change | Smoothing function | Assessment of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E6 | Softwood and hardwood removals from all English sources | Short term | 2017 to 2022 | -5.01 | Unsmoothed | Deterioration |
| E6 | Softwood and hardwood removals from all English sources | Medium term | 2012 to 2022 | 3.69 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
| E6 | Softwood and hardwood removals from all English sources | Long term | 2010 to 2022 | 11.84 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
Note that percentage change in Table E6 refers to the difference seen from the first to last year in the specified date range.