Discover what we are currently working on as well as archived material from completed projects. Current topics are what we see as being the key scientific challenges for our sector over the next few years, and we give details of the types of research we are undertaking in response.
Forest Research has a long history of carrying out innovative and collaborative interdisciplinary research to advise and support the forestry sector in Great Britain. Collectively, our staff work across a broad range of scientific disciplines and we are the custodians of unique and irreplaceable long-term data, which underpins many of our activities. Our ongoing collaboration and discussions with the forestry sector across Great Britain ensure that our research and knowledge exchange activities continue to support the expansion and continued maintenance of increasingly resilient, diverse and sustainable multi-purpose forests and landscape
The Science and Innovation Strategy (SIS) for forestry in Great Britain is a clear, cross-border statement of the current research and evidence needed to underpin future sustainable management and expansion of woodlands and forests. It was published in autumn 2020 and is available from the Welsh Government website (PDF, 2 MB).
The SIS identified four strategic outcomes and engagement with stakeholders led to the agreement of seven key themes, with subsidiary areas of research interest for each.
Forest Research proposed a set of new research programmes, building on recent progress, to address these seven themes. These programmes provide a framework for our core research and a springboard for further collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Much of the work draws on skills from across our scientific disciplines and is interdisciplinary in nature. Some of the broader themes, such as remote sensing, woodland creation, and carbon and other greenhouse gas fluxes, will be the focus of cross-programme working since the breadth of activity is too great for a single programme.
You can find out more about our main core programmes on this website.
