People, trees and woodlands

 

Developing a greater understanding of the ways in which trees benefit society and improving delivery of those benefits

Summary

Links between trees and woodland and the environmental, economic and social aspects of our lives are wide-ranging.

For example, woods can contribute to human well-being by providing natural restorative spaces, they can provide jobs as well as give people the opportunity to develop new skills and meet new friends. This research aims to develop an understanding about the relationships between forestry and society by concentrating on the social dimension of sustainable forest management and using qualitative and quantitative research methods in social science.

Research programmes

• A valuation of the economic and social contribution of Forestry for People in Scotland
• Accessibility and racial equality
• Assessing and communicating animal disease risks for countryside users
• Collaborative frameworks in land management: a case-study of wild deer in Britain 
• Cydcoed evaluation programme
• Economic integration of urban consumers demand and rural forestry production
• Economy and livelihoods
• Education and learning
• Forests for recreation and nature tourism (FORREC)
• Forests, trees and human health and well-being
• Governance and public involvement
• Health and well-being
• Non-timber forest products (biological products)
• Peri-urban deer project
• Public access, recreation and tourism
• Remediation of coal ash disposal sites (RECOAL) 
• Social and cultural values of woods
• Sustainability impact assessment tools for multifunctional land use (SENSOR) 
• Visualisation tools for public participation in managing landscape change (VISULANDS)

Related topics

• Accessibility of woodlands and natural spaces
• 'Offenders and Nature' schemes 

Related publications

• Publications about people, trees and woodlands
• Growing Places - the Newsletter of the Forest Research Social and Economic Research Group

Related products and services

Alice Holt Research Forest - Conduct studies with access to 50 years’ scientific data.

We provide a range of social research services to the forestry sector including:

• Advice on the design and conduct of social research
• Research project design and management
• Advice on social issues in forestry
• Evaluation of social programmes
• Advice on the design and conduct of research exploring governance and public involvement.

Background

Sustainable development emphasises the need to consider social, as well as economic and environmental concerns in forestry. Social issues are therefore a fundamental part of sustainable forest management.

Different individuals, groups and organisations within society have diverse needs and expectations of trees and woodlands. Increasingly, they also expect to have an opportunity to contribute to sustainable forestry decisions. Research into ‘People, Trees and Woodlands’ therefore seeks to engage with people to understand the current and potential contribution of forestry to contemporary society.

Research objectives

Research in this area aims to develop and disseminate understanding about the relationships between people and forestry so as to enable the development of guidance and good practice on the social contexts of forestry.  It falls into a number of inter-related themes:

• Economy and livelihoods
• Education and learning
• Governance and public involvement in forest planning
• Health and well-being
• Monitoring and evaluation of the social impacts of trees and woodlands
• Non-timber forest products
• Public access, recreation and tourism
• Rural development
• The ways in which people value trees and woodlands
• Urban forestry

Forestry Commission policy

The Forestry Commission wants to understand links between trees, woodlands and society to enable them to increase the benefits people receive from trees and woodlands, in both rural and urban environments. It seeks to deliver these benefits through Sustainable Forest Management policies and practices. Research into ‘People, Trees and Woodlands’ develops understanding which helps to guide the development of sustainable forestry policies and practices.

Contact

Research into 'people, trees and woodlands' in Forest Research is carried out by the Social Research Group within the Environmental and Human Sciences Division.

For further information contact:

Anna Lawrence
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 526223
Fax: 01420 520558
Email: anna.lawrence@forestry.gsi.gov.uk