Staff
Richard Whittet
PhD
PhD
Richard leads tree improvement at Forest Research and has overall responsibility for the group’s infrastructure of genetic trials, provenance tests and clone banks across Great Britain.
The main tree species Richard is currently working on are: Picea sitchensis, Pinus sylvestris, Fraxinus excelsior, Betula pendula and Pseudotsuga menziesii although he is involved in work on several others in varying levels of detail.
Richard has a BSc in Sustainable Forest Management (Scottish School of Forestry, UHI) and an MSc in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh/University of Edinburgh) and completed a PhD at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology of University of Edinburgh in 2017, working on the management of forest genetic resources and their responses to climate change.
Richard has worked as an independent researcher on contracts from University College London, Forestry Commission England, Woodland Trust and the Future Trees Trust. He joined Forest Research in August 2018 as project support officer for tree improvement and became head of tree breeding in 2022.
Chair of Conifer Breeding Co-operative
Deputy national coordinator for EUFORGEN
Member of Future Trees Trust research advisory group
NRS
Northern Research Station
Bush Estate
Roslin
Scotland
Testing for tolerance to ash die-back across various ash species.
This Research Report provides a review of published results from provenance tests of relevance to English native trees to identify factors which may influence the risk, suitability and desirability of the use of local versus non-local seed under climate change.
Peer-reviewed scientific articles
Climent, J., Alía, R., Karkkainen, K. et al. 2024. Trade-offs and trait integration in tree phenotypes: consequences for the sustainable use of genetic resources. Current Forestry Reports https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-024-00217-5
Finžgar, D., Ennos, R., Whittet, R. and Cottrell, J. 2023. Measuring and managing genetic diversity in the British Sitka spruce improvement programme. Scottish Forestry 77, 38-44.
Archambeau, J., Bianchi, S., Buiteveld, J., Callejas-Díaz, M., Cavers, S., Hallingbäck, H., Kastally, C., de Miguel, M., Mutke, S., Sánchez, L., Whittet, R., C. González-Martínez, S. C. and Bastien, C. 2023. Managing forest genetic resources for an uncertain future: findings and perspectives from an international conference. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 19(3), p.26
Turner, S., Graham, E., Macphail, R., Duncan, L., Rose, N.L., Yang, H., Whittet, R. and Rosique‐Esplugas, C., 2021. Mercury enrichment in anthrosols and adjacent coastal sediments at a Classic Maya site, Marco Gonzalez, Belize. Geoarchaeology https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21868
Rosique-Esplugas, C., Cottrell, J.E., Cavers, S., Whittet, R., Ennos, R.A. 2021. Clinal genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in leaf phenology, growth and stem form in common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), Forestry https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpab026
Whittet, R., Lopez, G. and Rosique-Esplugas, C. 2021. Mid-rotation variation in growth, form and phenology of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) provenances in field trials in England, Forestry https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpab012
Whittet, R., Cavers, S., Cottrell, J., Rosique-Esplugas, C. and Ennos, R. 2017. Substantial variation in timing of pollen production reduces reproductive synchrony between distant populations of Pinus sylvestris L. in Scotland. Ecology and Evolution 7, 5754-5765.
Graham, E., Macphail, R., Turner, S., Crowther, J., Stegemann, J., Arroyo-Kalin, M., Duncan, L., Whittet, R., Rosique, C. and Austin, P., 2017. The Marco Gonzalez Maya site, Ambergris Caye, Belize: Assessing the impact of human activities by examining diachronic processes at the local scale. Quaternary International 437, 115-142.
Graham, E., MacPhail, R., Crowther, J., Turner, S.D., Stegemann, J., Arroyo-Kalin, M., Duncan, L., Austin, P., Whittet, R. and Rosique, C., 2016. Past and Future Earth: Archaeology and Soil Studies on Ambergris Caye, Belize. Archaeology International 19, 97-108.
Whittet, R., Cottrell, J., Cavers, S., Pecurul, M. and Ennos, R. 2016. Supplying trees in an era of environmental uncertainty: identifying challenges faced by the forest nursery sector in Great Britain. Land Use Policy 58, 415-426.
Whittet, R. Cavers, S., Cottrell, J. and Ennos, R. 2016. Seed sourcing for woodland creation in an era of uncertainty: an analysis of the options for Great Britain. Forestry 90, 163-173.
Whittet, R., Hope, J. and Ellis, C. 2015. Open structured woodland and the ecological interpretation of Scotland’s Ancient Woodland Inventory. Scottish Geographical Journal 131, 67-77.
Whittet, R. and Ellis, C. 2013. Critical tests for lichen indicators of woodland ecological continuity. Biological Conservation 168, 19-23.
Technical and popular articles
Whittet, R. 2023. 75 Years of Tree Breeding in Britain. ICF Trees.
Whittet, R., Ennos, R., Cavers, S., Cottrell, J. 2019. Genetic considerations for provenance choice of native trees under climate change in England. Forestry Commission Research Report. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.
Uncredited. Nursery resilience and biosecurity – The dilemma of predicting and meeting demand. Forestry and Timber News, February 2017.
Whittet, R., Ennos, R., Cavers, S. and Cottrell, J. 2016. Deploying our resources: local provenance in practice. Woodwise, Autumn 2016. Woodland Trust.
Whittet, R., Ennos, R., Cavers, S. and Cottrell, J. 2016. Adapt and survive. The origins of genetic variation in native trees and implications for practical management. Woodwise, Autumn 2016. Woodland Trust.
Whittet, R. 2016. Why does Britain import so many native trees and shrubs? Botanical Society of Scotland News. Autumn 2016.
