Six major research projects will explore the most effective ways to expand the UK’s trees, hedgerows, woodlands and forests in rural and urban settings.
Six major research projects will explore the most effective ways to expand the UK’s trees, hedgerows, woodlands and forests in rural and urban settings.
Forests and other treescapes account for 13 per cent of the UK’s land surface, and capture approximately 21 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year*, providing an important contribution to the UK’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. They also reduce flooding, improve biodiversity, reduce pollution and benefit people’s wellbeing.
The six interdisciplinary studies announced today (22nd September 2022) have received a share of £3 million funding over the next two years from UK Research and Innovation. Each project will improve our understanding of the composition of treescapes in the UK, and their value to people and the planet. The research will also support the Government’s ambition to increase tree cover across the country.
Involving multi-disciplinary teams led by six research institutes, the studies are part of the £15.6 million Future of UK Treescapes programme.
The programme is designed to answer the ‘what, where, how and for whom’ of treescape expansion and will help us to better safeguard our trees, woods and forests. The research will also investigate the importance of tree expansion in urban spaces, why we connect with woodlands, and how we encourage landowners and farmers to plant more trees.
Julie Urquhart, Associate Professor of Environmental Social Science at the Countryside and Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire, is joint Ambassador of the programme. She said:
“The UK is one of the least wooded areas of Europe, with only thirteen per cent forest cover. They are a precious resource and part of the solution to tackling the climate and ecological emergencies we face.
“These new projects will show how we can effectively support those who manage our treescapes to expand these habitats and improve our environment while at the same locking up carbon to tackle climate change.”
Clive Potter, Professor of Environmental Policy at Imperial College London and joint Ambassador for the Future of Treescapes programme said:
“This further set of projects will expand and help refine the work already being conducted via the Call One projects. I’m looking forward to welcoming the new teams into the treescapes research community and working with them to deliver research that will directly inform how we achieve the Government’s ambitions for trees, woods and forests in this country."
Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, said:
“The grants announced today demonstrate UKRI’s commitment to funding excellent, world-leading research that is tackling key environmental, societal and cultural challenges.
“The insights gleaned from these projects will support policymakers and landowners as they manage, protect and expand UK woodlands.”
The announcement of additional funding for six new projects comes as researchers working on the Future of Treescapes programme meet for their annual conference today.
More information about the Future of Treescapes programme can be found on the programme website and the UKRI website.
* The net annual rate of carbon dioxide accumulation by UK forests of 21 million tonnes in 2020, Forest Research.
Sophie Docker, Senior Media and Communications Manager: 07586 040402 or sophie.docker@ukri.org
Funders of the Future of Treescapes programme are:
TreE_PlaNat: Stakeholder perceptions and socio-ecological consequences of Treescape Expansion through Planting and Natural colonisation (£505,510.79)
Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, University of Stirling
This study will investigate a range of approaches to woodland expansion, including tree planting and allowing trees to colonise new areas naturally. Researchers will:
FARM TREE: Balancing farm and landscape-scale demands for integrating trees on agricultural land (£506,046.20)
Dr Josie Geris, University of Aberdeen
Researchers leading this study will build on existing agroforestry initiatives and develop practical tools for farmers to enhance the expansion of trees on agricultural land, including:
Professor Lynn Fewer, Newcastle University
This study will investigate the development of agroforestry, or the growing of trees alongside crop and livestock farming on the same land, in rural areas and surrounding towns and cities in the UK.
Researchers aim to understand what society wants in the future from UK forests, whether we can adapt our trees and forests to tackle climate change, the impact of agroforestry on ecosystems, and how best to engage farmers and other stakeholders in the process.
iDeer: An Integrated Deer Management Platform (£512,836)
Dr Rebecca Spake, University of Reading
iDeer will co-develop a web-based tool that will map the risk of woodland and farmland damage caused by deer. Deer strip bark from trees, especially in the winter months when food is scarce.
The tool will enable landowners, woodland managers, public forestry bodies, conservation practitioners and advisors to design planting and woodland management plans that reduce the risk of damage caused by deer, which impacts the health of woodland.
The iDeer tool will be co-developed and tested with stakeholders in the Elwy Valley in north Wales and the Northern Forest project, which is planting trees across the north of England.
Partners: Dr Freya St John and Dr Graeme Shannon at Bangor University, Prof Felix Eigenbrod at Uni Southampton, Dr Chloe Bellamy and Dr Robin Gill at Forest Research, Paul Orsi and George Dennison at the Sylva Foundation, Dr Chris Nichols (Woodland Trust), Lee Oliver (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust)
STAND: Overcoming scale-mismatch for designing and governing treescape expansion to benefit people and nature (£504,541)
Woodland creation forms a core part of the UK Government's Net Zero Strategy, with a target to create 30,000 hectares of new woodland per year by 2024.
This study will investigate how these national policies can work on a local and community level, and the barriers to their success.
STAND will use existing datasets to model future scenarios for achieving these national targets, while also considering impacts on food production and birdlife.
Researchers will study the feasibility of achieving national targets in two RSPB priority landscapes, Elenydd-Mallaen in Wales and North Pennines & Dales in England. They will engage with communities and land managers to understand opportunities and barriers to woodland expansion.
DiversiTree: diversifying our woodlands to increase resilience (£516,524.59)
Dr Ruth Mitchell, The James Hutton Institute
Lead by: Dr Ruth Mitchell, The James Hutton Institute. Collaborators: Dr Norman Dandy, Bangor University. Dr Chris Ellis, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Dr Paul Bellamy, RSPB, Dr Chris Nichols, The Woodland Trust, Professor Rob Jackson, University of Birmingham.
DiversiTree will provide woodland managers with the knowledge and tools required to enable them to increase the resilience of their woodlands to climate change, and pests and diseases. Researchers will do this by assessing the potential to diversify the tree species composition of our woods with both native and/or non-native species.
DiversiTree’s four main objectives are to:
About UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation and is composed of seven disciplinary research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. Annually, we invest more than £8 billion to advance our understanding of people and the world around us and deliver benefits for society, the economy and the environment. Working in partnership, we aim to shape a more connected and agile research and innovation system in the UK that is an integral part of society, giving everyone the opportunity to participate and to benefit. Find out more in our new 5-year strategy, Transforming Tomorrow Together.
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Sophie Docker UK Research and Innovation sophie.docker@ukri.org Office: 07-513-485-076 x85076
Copyright © 2022 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Copyright © 2022 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)