Climate change impacts on forest function
Our work includes modelling the effects of climate change on the suitability of tree species. This map shows projected changes to the suitability of Sitka spruce in Scotland by 2080, for the High emissions scenario (IPCC A1FI).
Long-term monitoring of climate information and the response of trees is fundamental to our understanding of forests and climate change.
This programme builds on our previous work on assessing and quantifying the impacts of climate change on forests. It draws together information from long-term monitoring and experimental work at Alice Holt Research Forest and elsewhere in the UK. The research will:
- Add to the comprehensive 13 year-long dataset for the Environmental Change Network site at Alice Holt
- Assess the impact of climatic variations and management on forest CO2 and water exchange so that models can be used to predict the likely impacts of climate change
- Analyse long-term datasets on environment and forest function (e.g. growth, leafing and leaf fall data) to understand and characterise the impacts of change.
Adapting forests to climate change
The impacts of projected climate change, and recommendations for adaptation, have been assessed for the devolved countries. In addition we are linked into a number of EU funded projects with European partners, to share information on the impacts of climate change, and develop a consensus on adaptation. These projects share objectives in developing decision support tools to help forestry practitioners to adapt to climate change. They are also concerned with raising awareness of the importance of forests in combating climate change, and in reducing the worst effects of impacts on society.
- Adapting Scotland's forests to a future climate
- Adapting forests and woodlands in Wales to a future climate
- Developing climate change adaptation strategies for forests (ForeSTClim)
Ecological Site Classification (ESC) for climate change
ESC has been developed both as a stand-based and spatial tool (on a geographic information system (GIS) platform) for matching tree species and native woodland communities to site types. It has been successfully used to inform forest policy, particularly in relation to the impact of future climate scenarios on tree species.
The programme is also developing stand-based and spatial climate change impact and adaptation tools, including new ways to assess the risk of biotic impacts of climate change scenarios.
Expected climate change and options for EU silviculture
This programme aims to mobilise and integrate the existing scientific knowledge for European forest policymakers and managers who have to make decisions on adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
ECHOES - EU COST Action FP0703
Forestry as an instrument for mitigating climate change
Research into peatland restoration is establishing how it affects emissions of key greenhouse gases and carbon storage.
This focuses on evaluating mitigation options based on the management of forest carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics for input to national GHG projections.
The research includes an economic analysis of mitigation options including:
- Sequestering carbon in woodland
- Lower and more efficient energy use in forestry operations
- Substituting woodfuel and wood products for more energy-intensive materials
- Developing ‘best practice’ forest management guidelines.
Research also focuses on national and international reporting of carbon stocks and GHG balances, setting standards for assessment methods, indicators and interactions between different greenhouse gases.
This programme will provide information that can be applied consistently to address emerging policy issues and continue a comprehensive GHG budget for a raised bog restoration project from a conifer plantation.
Silvicultural impacts on carbon
This work will provide scientific evidence to underpin appropriate silvicultural regimes that promote ’low carbon’ land management practices. This will be achieved through field assessments, modelling approaches and the synthesis of existing knowledge.
It will initially concentrate on determining the effects of conventional management practices on soil carbon stocks, which will enable an evaluation of the resource available to supply the expanding woodfuel market.
Biosecurity in a changing climate
Climate change has the potential to alter the future distribution, abundance and impact of forest pests and pathogens. The impact will depend on the characteristics of their life cycles and factors that have a key influence on their biology and population dynamics.
By improving our understanding of how climate change affects the interactions of pests, pathogens and host trees, we can establish current and future risk profiles to inform tree species choice, and predict and reduce the effects of biotic damaging agents by suitable management.
Interdisciplinary research will initially focus on insect life cycles as a predictor of risk and the interaction between drought stress of trees and pathogen attack.
Biosecurity research programmes
Tree stability and climate
A forest wind risk decision support system that works within a GIS is being developed further. ForestGALES was developed to provide risk assessments for uniform conifer stands. It will now be used to aid the design planning process, to provide risk assessments at a regional or country scale, and to provide assessments of wind risk from climate change and extreme event scenarios.
Extending the model to work with uneven age and mixed species stands will allow risk assessments for stands being managed by continuous cover forestry, a measure that has been proposed to increase resilience to climate change.
Process modelling
Physiological or process-based models of tree growth and function have benefits over conventional empirical growth and yield models since they can accommodate the likely impacts of rising CO2 levels and enable future combinations of climatic conditions to be explored.
This research programme will continue to develop process-based models, working closely with the ‘Climate change impacts on forest function’ programme.
Woodfuel research
Woodfuel is a key component of Forestry Commission policy and research.
The woodfuel research programme aims to:
- Support the characterisation and quantification of the available resource
- Develop best practice for feedstock processing, drying and storage
- Disseminate improved information on fuel quality and energy values
- Research operational issues including the methods, logistics, economics, energetics and safety of the whole supply chain, from harvesting produce in the forest to recycling ash.
There is also close integration between the woodfuel research programme and the Biomass Energy Centre (BEC). The BEC provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ information service for all aspects of renewable energy production from biomass and is based at Alice Holt.
For further information
Please contact:
James Morison
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
Tel:01420 22255
Fax:01420 23563
Email:james.morison
@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
