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Soil biodiversity underpins essential ecosystem functions and reflects woodland condition yet is difficult to monitor using traditional methods. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a scalable, non-invasive approach to assess fungi and invertebrates. Integrated into the National Forest Inventory, it will generate baseline data to track biodiversity patterns and woodland condition...

This project expanded Forest Research’s intensive forest monitoring network to seven sites, enabling assessment of environmental change impacts on riparian and ancient woodland. This data, analysed within the context of UK International Co-operative Programme (ICP) Forest network, will deepen understanding of forest ecosystems and strengthen the scientific basis for air‑pollution...

The NCEA People Pressure project tested remote technologies to monitor woodland recreation and assess how forest use contributes to threats, social benefits and landscape understanding within England’s National Forest Inventory.

The NCEA Air Quality project assesses data availability, suitability, and gaps to improve quantification of forests’ natural capital in air‑pollution mitigation and the impacts of pollutants on forest ecosystems. It supports modelling using long‑term monitoring and inventory datasets, and expands ongoing air‑pollution monitoring across Forest Research’s intensive ICP Forests Level...

Woodland canopy arthropods are sensitive indicators of ecological condition but are difficult to sample and identify at scale using traditional methods. DNA metabarcoding offers a cost‑effective alternative, enabling comprehensive biodiversity assessment. Integrated into the National Forest Inventory, it will generate baseline data to track spatial and temporal trends in arthropod...

This research project aimed to integrate eDNA metabarcoding into the National Forest Inventory survey to assess ecological condition through monitoring of woodland mammals. eDNA offers a non‑invasive, scalable alternative to traditional surveys by detecting species from environmental traces, providing an efficient, cost‑effective way to capture mammal diversity across woodland ecosystems....

Woodland water services improve water quality and reduce flood risk, but limited data restrict investment in new woodland. This project strengthens evidence by measuring water quality across diverse woodland streams in England, helping to quantify and value water improvements so woodland creation can be targeted where benefits are most needed.

​​Assessing changes in British woodland condition is essential for biodiversity, resilience, and statutory monitoring. These projects use scalable DNA and eDNA metabarcoding to monitor mammals, soil biodiversity, and canopy arthropods across England, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods and providing new insights into forest form and function through incorporation into...

Bats are a powerful indicator of woodland ecosystem health. The National Woodland Bat Survey uses acoustic monitoring to assess bat presence, distribution and relative abundance across England’s woodlands.

Forest Research have today published provisional statistics on UK woodland area, certification, planting, restocking and Woodland Carbon Code projects for the year to March 2026.

Summary In this paper the effects of climate and socio‑economic change on Scotland’s national forests are explored using 100‑year scenario modelling, comparing a baseline management approach with scenarios that prioritise either biodiversity, carbon or timber. Results show that while the baseline delivers balanced, modest gains across most ecosystem services, forcing...