coppice

Coppice is a traditional woodland management system in which trees or shrubs are periodically cut back to near ground level to stimulate new shoots from the base. The resulting growth, called coppice shoots or stool shoots, is harvested on a rotation, producing a supply of small-diameter wood without replanting. The stumps, or stools, persist and continually regrow, allowing a renewable yield over many decades.

Commonly coppiced species include hazel and willow, though broader-leaved trees such as oak and chestnut have also been managed in coppice systems in some regions. The length of a coppice cycle depends on species, site, and intended product, typically ranging from about 5 to 20 years for fast-growing coppices and longer for trees grown for timber. The wood produced is used for a variety of products, including fencing, basketry, fuel, charcoal, and small-dimension timber.

Variations of the practice include coppice with standards, where high-quality standard trees are left to grow to produce larger timber while the understory is coppiced, and pollarding, a related technique that cuts above browse level to protect regrowth and to yield different materials. A well-managed coppice system can maintain open woodland structure, enhance biodiversity, and provide a renewable wood supply.

Historically widespread in Europe and practiced in other regions with suitable species, coppicing declined in some areas with the rise of high-forest management but continues in many places for heritage value, habitat management, and sustainable production of small-diameter wood.