Sable Wood naturally divides into three sub-compartments.

Com 1 is predominantly lowland  heath ecosystem, characterised by heather, bilberry and moss that provide good habitat for a range of wildlife including reptiles. Lowland heath is relatively scarce and, in this part of Surrey, fragmented. In 2011 young Scots pine were steadily increasing tree cover in this part and an early intervention was to remove many.

Com 2 contains the greatest concentration of mature Scots pine that survived the 1987 Great Storm. A significant portion will be felled over the next few years to maintain a healthy age distribution. In 2011 this area had been heavily invaded by rhododendron and gaultheria but these were eventually cleared by 2017.  Self seeded woodland shrub Amelanchier provides a beautiful display of blossom in early spring.

Com 3 seems to have suffered the greatest loss of trees in the 1987 storm. In their place hundreds of densely packed Scots pine, birch and holly sprang up, cutting out the light reaching the woodland floor and crowding out existing native trees such  as oak, beech, sweet chestnut and yew. Each winter the Scots pine have been steadily thinned, allowing more light to reach the native deciduous species and the woodland floor.