By Duncan Ray Summary from Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2007-8. Related pages Climate change research
Disturbances such as droughts, wind and insects attacks all result in stress for forests and they are influenced by changing climate. Forests cover about a third of worldwide land surface, but knowledge is still lacking about how these types of disruptions interact with one another given global climate change. Now,...
Climate change is now one of the greatest global challenges, and research is under way to establish the likely impacts on many aspects of the environment. Forestry Commission Wales has commissioned Forest Research to determine how forests and forestry in Wales will be affected by climate change. This Research Note...
This page describes Forest Research’s role as Sector Champion for forestry within the UK Government’s framework for climate change risk assessment under the Climate Change Act.
Canker-inducing pathogens kill the inner, living bark of trees resulting in poorer growth or mortality of affected individuals which limits their contribution to climate change mitigation.
Milder and wetter winters, followed by increased spring rainfall, are likely to enhance the survival and infection potential of many tree pathogens. Hotter, drier summers leading to drought stress in trees will also increase their susceptibility to disease and expand the distribution range of some pathogens. The increased incidence and...
Will the impact of damaging forest insects increase? Insects provide many critical ecosystem services, such as pollination, decomposition and pest control. Many beneficial insects appear to be in decline, due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. Only a few insect species have become damaging pests of trees, but...
It is now widely accepted that mankind’s activities are having a discernible effect on the global climate, and these changes will impact upon the functioning of many of the planet’s natural systems. Climate change will have a variety of direct and indirect effects on forests and, thus, will have implications...
A multi-species modelling approach to examine the impact of alternative climate change adaptation strategies on range shifting ability in a fragmented landscape This paper describes research to test the effects of varying ‘climate change adaptation strategies’ on the ability of different animals to move through the landscape in response to...
The six main foliar pathogens already causing significant damage to conifers and broadleaved tree species in the UK are described along with the likely impact of climate change on their spread and severity.