North York Moors National Park
 

Learning Zone

Coniferous Woodland

 

Coniferous treesTwo thirds of the woodland in the North York Moors National Park is coniferous woodland.

Coniferous trees produce cones like a Christmas tree. Pine, spruce and fir are examples of coniferous trees. They are tall and straight and grow quickly even in poor, thin soil. Most coniferous trees are evergreen, which means that they don’t lose all their leaves in winter.

The coniferous trees in the National Park grow mainly in large forests planted and managed by an organisation called the Forestry Commission. This organisation plants and looks after trees for 3 reasons:

* To produce timber (wood) for people to use. The timber is made into all sorts of things including paper, card, furniture and fences.

* To provide a home for wildlife.

* To provide a place where people can enjoy outdoor activities such as walking and cycling. Why not visit Dalby Forest near Pickering and see for yourself?

Did you know?

In the UK, on average, every person uses about 1 tonne of timber each year?