Soils Basics for Foresters
This one-day workshop is designed to deepen your understanding of soil management in forestry. Through a combination of classroom learning and practical fieldwork, you'll explore the critical role of soil in forest management and gain the skills needed to effectively identify and manage different soil types in the field.
Location: UK
Study mode: Classroom
Duration: 1 day
Cost: From £170.00+VAT per person*
Objectives
Introduction to soils and their importance in forestry.
Basics of soil characterisation and classification.
Gathering soil information.
Demystifying Ecological Site Classification (ESC).
Field visit to demonstrate use of FC Fieldbook in supporting soil identification.
Who should attend?
This workshop is ideal for foresters whose roles involve making decisions based on soil knowledge.
The course is particularly relevant for those looking to enhance their practical skills in soil identification and management within forestry contexts.
Please note that this workshop is specifically tailored for foresters, not arboriculturists.
Lead Instructor
Andy Moffat MICfor
Andy has a degree in geography and soil science and a Ph.D. in geographical research. He started his career as a Soil Surveyor with the Soil Survey of England and Wales before taking up a position as forest soil scientist with the Forestry Commission Research Division (now Forest Research). He has conducted considerable research on forest soils and published many papers and FC guidelines on forest soil management, including the first Forest and Soil Guidelines. He was successively Head of Environmental Research Branch, Environmental and Human Sciences Division and the Centre for Forestry and Climate Change. He is now Director of his own environmental consultancy company, an honorary Research Fellow at Forest Research and a Visiting Professor at the University of Reading. He gives workshops on a variety of subjects including soils and climate change for the Arboricultural Association, the Royal Forestry Society and now the Institute of Chartered Forests, of which he is a Member and Chartered Consultant.
Other Information
Participants will receive a copy of the Forestry Commission Fieldbook, The Identification of Soils for Forest Management, along with handouts from presentations, additional reading materials, and a comprehensive list of UK Forestry Standard soil requirements and Forest Research publications on soil management.
*Bespoke option available: We can organise this course on your site subject to planning & preparation costs.