Poor forestry practice

Tree guards are a familiar sight giving protection against browsing to young deciduous trees. They are meant to split apart as the tree grows, but should then be collected and removed or checked that they have, as newer types are supposed to, biodegraded. Here are some examples from a plantation on Islay where the trees have clearly fallen over still in their tree guards, and then eventually have been able to grow vertically again, but with their value as trees severely impaired. No-one can have checked them in years since planting.
Malcolm