Sustainable Forest Management - A Vital Function Of Life On Earth!

Many people take forests for granted but have you ever asked yourself what life would be like without them? The fact is that life as we know it today, whether we live in a metropolis like London, or in the Amazon rainforest, would be impossible without forests.

So, why is that? Well, forests absorb and store carbon dioxide and so help to keep it out of the atmosphere. It is thought that, carbon dioxide and other 'Greenhouse Gases' in the upper atmosphere, trap heat from the sun, causing excessive warming of the earth's surface and destructive climate change.

 A Healthy Forest Provides A Diverse Habitat For Plants & Animals

Forests also play a vital part in the transfer of water from the Earth to the atmosphere, which is known as the 'water cycle'. Trees suck up water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere as water vapour, which then falls as rain.

The trees in forests has many uses including fuel and lumber and can be turned into wood products such as wooden boxes. They also provide shelter and protection against harsh weather, prevent soil erosion and provide diverse habitats for many plants and animals. 

Sustainable forest management preserves forest resources to meet the needs of future generations. Therefore, in sustainable forest management there is always a balance between the demands of the forest's natural resources and the vitality of the forest.

Planting a new sapling for every tree that is felled is the simplest way a forest can be sustained. Proper forest management however, takes into account a variety of diverse factors.

Selective logging, where only certain trees are felled, thus preserving the balance of the forest, is another sustainable forest management method. However, selective logging is time consuming and more expensive than clearing trees but it does preserve the forest's assets more effectively.

Selective Logging

Another example of sustainable forest management is allowing young trees time to mature. Young trees may have an intrinsic value, but this will inevitably increase as the tree matures.

Tree planting can increase the size of the forest and provide protected habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal species. 

It can be seen that forests provide a vital function in helping life on earth survive and prosper. It is therefore imperative that they are protected through sustainable forest management methods.

Polmac (UK) Ltd obtains wood and wood based products, used to manufacture it's customized, wood presentation boxes, display boxes and gift boxes from managed and sustainable forests, in order to  protect the environment for future generations.

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The Mighty Oak - The Essence Of England!

Oak is the common name for many acorn producing trees and the species is divided into two basic varieties - red and white oak. Throughout the world there are more than 600 varieties and they grow in the Northern Hemisphere in China, Japan, Europe and North America, except in Alaska.

Mature English Oak Tree

Historically, oaks have been revered by many civilizations, including the ancient Greeks and Romans. In Britain oak has a long association and is buried deep in the national psyche.

The Druids for instance thought that oak had medicinal and mystical properties and for centuries, an oak sprig was inscribed on English coins. It is thought that King Arthur's famous round table was made from a slice of one ancient oak tree. Oak was also used to build the ships that defeated the Spanish Armada and the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Oak trees have an average age of between 200 and 400 years. However, there are oaks that are more than 800 years old and these were often used for important meetings and ceremonies. They were also used as property boundary markers because the wood is so tough, it endures for generations.

Oak Presentation Box With Metal Clasp

There are many famous old Oak trees in England, including the major Oak in Sherwood Forest. Oak has many uses and today it is best known in the furniture and building industries. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses oak to manufacture customized, wood presentation boxes, where specified. Oak is a very hard, dense and tough material and therefore specialist woodworking skills are needed to ensure the highest quality oak wood boxes are produced, every time. 

Oak also has a warm and rich colour, with a striking grain character, which means that the extra effort needed to produce the finest oak wooden boxes is well worth it.

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Electro-Plating Ironmongery For Wood Display Boxes - How The Magic Works!

In fairy tales, wizards use alchemy to turn ordinary objects into gold and silver. Alchemy is of course a fantasy but using specialized, modern day, electro-plating techniques is perhaps the next best thing. 

By coating a base metal with a more appealing (and expensive) metal we can quickly and easily transform the appearance of the base metal into something special and magical. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses ironmongery (caches, hinges, stays etc), with a brass, or nickel plated finish on our customized, wooden display boxes. This enhances the appearance of the ironmongery and wood boxes, by providing a highly polished finish that looks much like gold and silver.

Brass or nickel plated finishes are also long-lasting, economical and provide excellent rust and wear resistance. Other more specialized, metal plated finishes, such as bronze and copper can also be provided if specified, although these tend to be more expensive.

Polmac Electro-Plated Ironmongery

Metal finishes by their nature have a tendency to oxidize and will tarnish over time but using a proprietary metal cleaner when required, will soon bring back that original shine and sparkle.

In electroplating, two 'electrodes' are placed in a special solution called an 'electrolyte'. The electrodes are then connected in a circuit to a power supply, such as a battery and an electric current is passed through the electrolyte.

When the electricity is switched on, it flows through the circuit and some of the metal atoms are released through the electrolyte. These are then deposited as a thin layer onto one of the electrodes, which then becomes 'electroplated'.

The longer this electro-plating process continues, the more metal is deposited on the electrode. Adhering to strict quality standards ensures that the right thickness of metal is deposited on the ironmongery, every time.

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