New land regeneration resources for creating green spaces on previously used land now available

Forest Research has today published a series of resources to help when creating green spaces on previously used land, including when planting treescapes and woodland. The new resources bring together the latest learnings on land regeneration and planting, considering projected future climate change.

Resources include:

• A comprehensive handbook, ‘Woodland and grassland creation on sites requiring intervention: guidance for land regeneration’. The handbook provides detailed information to support those involved in the successful woodland and grassland establishment on previously used land including: Site selection; Planning and design; Site preparation; Establishment and Management.
• A free tool, Optimal Thickness of Soil (OpTS) Model that calculates the optimal soil depth for planting on previously used land, while accounting for future climate change. The tool allows practitioners to enter site locations in the UK and soil variables. The model then calculates the minimum soil thickness needed to help ensure that mature trees receive enough water during the growing season. The tool includes future climate projections to show the soil thickness required under both current and future climate scenarios. It also accounts for current and future projected growing period rainfall, in addition to tree crop type, soil texture and stoniness to estimate the water usage vs water availability on site. Site preparation methods are also considered to identify if additional soil-forming materials may be required to support tree establishment and survival into the future.
• A new factsheet, ‘Climate change and woodlands on previously used land, What are the additional risks to trees?’ The factsheet explores how reclaimed land, the creation of woodland and climate change interact. It outlines four climate change risks impacting trees and woodlands on previously used land, along with suggestions for addressing these risks.

The resources are freely available on the Forest Research website and bring together the latest research in this area.

Reclaiming previously used land to create accessible woodland and treescapes

The creation of woodland or grassland can provide a wide range of social, environmental, and economic benefits. These include carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, local cooling, air quality improvements, habitat creation, and improved mental and physical health. Reclaiming previously used land – which can include former mineral extraction or waste disposal sites – to create accessible woodland and treescapes can help to maximise these benefits.

Establishing woodland or grassland on these sites is more challenging than conventional woodland or grassland creation. This is because, due to past disturbance, the soil tends to be in particularly poor physical, chemical and biological condition. However, these difficulties can be overcome with the right planning, preparation and delivery.

“Woodland creation can be just as successful on previously developed land as on greenfield sites, but the right processes need to be followed,” said Dr Kieron Doick, Head of the Urban Forest Research Group.

“This comprehensive set of new resources brings together over forty-years of research in this area by Forest Research and collaborators, in addition to the very latest learnings, including the effects of climate change.”

“We hope these resources will help people who are involved in planning, executing, managing or regulating green space creation projects on sites which require intervention, so that more people can benefit from the regeneration.”

This project was funded through Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund.

With thanks to Professor Andy J Moffat, Brian Hicks, Tim O’Hare Associates, and Professor Danielle Sinnett of the University of West England.

This work was developed as part of the Forestry Commission’s Centre of Excellence for Brownfield Regeneration.

Forest Research are available to attend industry events to discuss the resources.