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The Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) Programme supports 30 vital projects led by Forest Research.

These projects span four key themes:

  1. Treescape Expansion
  2. Treescape Management
  3. Resilience
  4. Benefits

Each project is designed to advance our understanding and management of woodlands, contributing to the goals of the England Trees Action Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Treescape Expansion

Tree planting using vole and rabbit guards, Kelham Bridge, The National Forest, West Midlands Forest District

Fungi for Forest Restoration (Fungi4Restor)

Project investigating the patterns and mechanisms of soil woodland fungal community recovery on former agricultural land.

Integrated (Woodland) Habitat Network Spatial Layer

Project exploring integrated (woodland) habitat connectivity, using advanced spatial mapping to generate biodiversity insights.

Adapting Vacant and Derelict Land for Tree Planting for Climate Change

Project identifying and exploring climate risks and mitigating actions to planned and established woodland on Vacant and Derelict Land

Regeneration Guidance for Tree Planting on Vacant and Derelict Land

Project exploring the potential of vacant and derelict land (VDL) sites for establishing vegetation such as trees and woodland.

AWDev: Ancient Woodland and Development Impacts

Project delivering evidence to underpin future policy, practice and industry guidance to safeguard ancient woodlands and support responsible development and woodland use.

Fast-tracking Connectivity through Woodland Creation

Project exploring the movement of species between woodlands, and how to fast-track connectivity within fragmented landscapes.

Expanding Agroforestry

Project exploring the ecosystem services provided by agroforestry in the UK, and the questions this raises for policy and regulation.

Comparing Carbon Budgets for Different Land Use

Project comparing the full life cycle carbon impacts of land use change, including renewable energy sources and land-based ecosystems.

Alternatives to Conventional Plastic Tree Shelters

Project exploring alternatives to conventional plastic tree shelters: their practicality, durability and efficacy.

Social and Cultural Values and Trees on Farms in England 

Project working with farmers to understand the barriers to and opportunities for increasing tree cover on agricultural land.

Social Dimensions of Natural Colonisation

Project exploring land manager attitudes and barriers to uptake of natural colonisation as a means of woodland creation.

Ecology of Natural Colonisation

Project assessing the efficacy, biodiversity, carbon impacts and ecology of natural colonisation as a means of establishing new woodland.

Mapping the Social Benefits of Woodland Creation and Expansion

Project assessing the benefits, requirements and social impacts of planting new trees using a longitudinal research methodology.

Treescape Management

A red squirrel sitting on a branch.

Obtaining Evidence for Reviewing Trees and Peat Buffer Distances

Project exploring the interactions between peatland and woodland, and how decisions can be made to support both the ETAP and EPAP.

Production of Official Statistics on Woodlands in England

Project producing, improving and developing statistics for woodland creation and change in England.

Woodland Expansion and Soil Carbon Change at the Woodland Carbon Code projects

Project measuring the soil carbon changes in the first 2 to 20 years of forest establishment of Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) sites.

Ground Preparation Impacts on Soil Carbon in Woodland Afforestation and Reforestation

Project quantifying changes in soil carbon and tree biomass caused by different ground preparation practices during woodland creation.

Resilience

Ground dried and cracked due to drought conditions

Forestry & Woodland Resilience to Drought (FORWaRD)

Project addressing knowledge gaps in the drought response of a variety of UK tree species, to inform future decision-making.

Towards Climate Smart Forestry: Developing the Strategic Infrastructure of Research Forests

Project providing evidence for recommendations in support of ‘climate-smart’ forestry: ensuring the right tree in the right place for the right reasons.

Extension of the Climate Change Hub

Project developing the Climate Change Hub to support and engage forestry practitioners in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Benefits

A signpost for public access in woodland.

Ectomycorrhizal Communities in Forests: Factors Shaping Ecosystem Services and Resilience in a Changing Climate

Project exploring the role of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) in forest resilience, shaping ecosystem services, and aiding climate adaptation.

Understanding and Supporting Public Access to Woodlands

Project seeking to understand, enable and support public access to woodlands in line with the English Tree Action Plan.

Developing a Woodland Water Code

Project designing and developing a Woodland Water Code (WWC), encouraging private investment to improve the freshwater environment.

Economics of Woodland Creation in England

Project using forest economics to help land managers and businesses in England plan decisions on land use change and woodland management.

Understanding the Public Value of Trees outside Woodlands: Peri-Urban and Rural (ToWPUR)

Project exploring the social and cultural value of Trees Outside Woodlands (TOW) in peri-urban and rural areas.

The Ecological Function of Trees outside Woodland (ToW) in Relation to Treescapes and Woodland Creation

Project exploring the ecological function of Trees outside Woodland (ToW), using detailed mapping and biodiversity investigations.

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Reeds in the foreground of the wetland at Ollerton Pit Woods, Nottinghamshire

About the Nature for Climate Fund

Learn more about the Nature for Climate Fund (NCF), our role, and the research themes our work will cover.

A member of staff preparing foliar samples for chemical analysis in the laboratory.

The Team

Meet the team and partners behind delivery of the Nature for Climate Fund programme.

Tree planting using vole and rabbit guards, Kelham Bridge, The National Forest, West Midlands Forest District

Themes

Learn about the four interconnected themes covered by the Nature for Climate Fund programme.

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