Summary
This research aims to establish the foundations for a cost-effective, robust and nationally representative network to monitor inter-annual tree growth across Great Britain.
Building on two Defra-funded pilot projects, the study will assess existing oak growth data, streamline data pipelines and refine protocols, before engaging new landowners and volunteers.
Planned outputs include:
- A streamlined database
- A mobile app for seamless data submission
- Recommendations for scaling the network
By filling spatial and temporal gaps in growth records, the project will enhance our understanding of how climate change and site characteristics affect tree growth, thereby informing adaptive forest management and policy.
This project has been funded by the UK Government through Defra’s Forestry Research and Development programme.
Research Objectives
- How useful is the tree growth data collected during the pilot projects? How close is it to meeting the NAP3 requirements for improved inter-annual monitoring of tree growth rates?
- Where do we need to target recruitment to fill any gaps, particularly in terms of bioclimatic zone and soil type?
- What additional parameters should we collect to improve the usefulness of this data?
- Can we improve data collection processes and improve data holding systems, to bring together pilot data with a longer term solution.
Funding & Partners
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DEFRA
