Cryptic genetic variation and adaptation to waterlogging in Caledonian Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L.

Exposure to a contrasting novel environment such as waterlogging under common garden conditions can trigger release of otherwise unobservable (cryptic) genetic variation. Under a flooding treatment, there was a greater increase in variability in Scots pine populations originating from drier sites in Scotland which likely reflects a relative absence of past selection. Under climate change this cryptic genetic variation may provide considerable potential to adapt.

A review of the effects of forest management intensity on ecosystem services for northern European temperate forests with a focus on the UK

Abstract Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits that people receive from ecosystems. Understanding the impact of forest management on their supply can inform policy and practice for meeting societal demand. The objectives of this paper are to identify and review the effect of management intensity on priority ES supply and identify synergies and trade-offs among ES […]

Urban Forests in a European Perspective: what can the National Forest Inventory tell us?

This pilot project demonstrates that the NFI data, in combination with the DEGURBA approach, provides existing data on European urban forests. Now that we know what we have, there is potential to quantify and qualify the state and trends of European urban forests. Moving forward we can draw on existing policies and concepts such as […]

Practical solutions for bottlenecks in ecosystem services mapping

Palomo I, Willemen L, Drakou E, Burkhard B, Crossman N, Bellamy C, Burkhard K, Campagne CS, Dangol A, Franke J, Kulczyk S, Le Clec’h S, Malak DA, Muñoz L, Narusevicius V, Ottoy S, Roelens J, Sing L, Thomas A, Van Meerbeek K, Verweij P (2018). One Ecosystem 3: e20713. Abstract Ecosystem services (ES) mapping is becoming mainstream […]

EcoServ-GIS: a toolkit for mapping ecosystem services

Mapping ecosystem services at a county and region scale The EcoServ-GIS toolkit generates maps illustrating the need for each service as well as the capacity for service provision, using scientifically-based, standardised methods and widely available datasets. It provides users with the facility to overlay these maps to show how well demand and capacity coincide in space, […]

Solving how a complex disease threatens our iconic oak

Scientists have for the first time tracked down the cause of the stem bleeding symptoms of acute oak decline.

Microbiome and infectivity studies reveal complex polyspecies tree disease in Acute Oak Decline

Teamwork between Forest Research, Bangor University and others has for the first time, tracked down the cause of the stem bleeding symptoms of acute oak decline (AOD). Using the latest scientific methods they have revealed a multi-bacterial cause of the stem bleeding and pioneered novel methods for analysing the causes of complex plant diseases. AOD is […]

Research concludes climate change brings enormous challenges for forests worldwide

climate change disturbances to forestry

Forest disturbances under climate change

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, for the first time, an international […]

Cultural ecosystem benefits of urban and peri-urban green infrastructure across different European countries

Research urges decision-makers to take account of broad ranging cultural benefits gained from green spaces in our towns and cities The cultural benefits of green spaces, sometimes referred to as ‘green infrastructure’, are difficult to measure and value. As a result they lack integration into decision-making about how to design and manage green infrastructure. Many methods […]

Growth rates of common urban trees in five cities in Great Britain: A dendrochronological evaluation with an emphasis on the impact of climate

Trees in cities provide important benefits (or ecosystem services), such as decreased local air temperatures, reduced air pollution and the attenuation of storm water. The range and volume of the benefits provided depends on the size of the trees and their canopy. While city locations can be good places for trees to grow, […]

Supplying trees in an era of environmental uncertainty: Identifying challenges faced by the forest nursery sector in Great Britain

Paper explores challenges faced by the nursery sector in Great Britain in an era of environmental uncertainty In recent years, there have been many studies exploring the management strategies that might be used to enable our forests to better cope with climate change. However, these seldom take into account the practical and economic implications of implementing […]