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Trees Outside of Woodland: An exploration of social and cultural values

A photo essay based on interviews with 16 arts and humanities practitioners and academics, focusing on their relationship with Trees Outside of Woodland. Key themes that emerge include childhood memories and experiences, emotional connections and the interconnectedness of humans and nature.

Trees and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

A secondary analysis of data from an online, UK representative survey, in-depth interviews and photo elicitation was used to investigate the terms people use to describe trees and places with trees, the importance of trees to perceptions of naturalness and nature connection, and whether trees were associated with greater wellbeing.

Silver maple (ASA)

Introduction The silver maple is a relatively fast-growing deciduous tree. It is tolerant of wet conditions and is often found as a riparian species and because of this sometimes-called, water maple. The name silver maple is associated with the pale silvery underside of the leaf. The tree can be quite striking in leaf as the long petioles allow the leaves to flutter in a breeze revealing flashes of the silvery underside. Silver maple is categorised as a plot-stage species.  These are species that have demonstrated some positive silvicultural characteristics at the Specimen-stage and are now subject to further testing and development in a limited number of trial plots.

Caucasian fir, Nordmann fir (NMF)

Caucasian fir is better known by its other common name Nordmann fir. It will also be familiar to many as a popular Christmas tree that retains its needles. It was a late introduction to Britain (1848) and has received little attention as a species for forestry. This may have been due to the focus on the faster growing firs from the Pacific northwest and the better known and earlier introduced European silver fir (Abies alba). A species that can grow to a large size in Britain reaching heights of > 48 m under suitable conditions. There are few research trials, and most trees are found as specimens in Botanic Gardens. Caucasian fir is a species that requires further research and current indications are it appears to tolerate a range of soils and climatic conditions that could give it a limited niche in forest diversification. Caucasian fir is categorised as a plot-stage species which has demonstrated some positive silvicultural characteristics at the Specimen-stage and are now subject to further testing and development in a limited number of trial plots.

Pankajini Samal

Major research investment into national land use transformation

Salvo Bonomo

Aspen (ASP)

Aspen sometimes called Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula) is one of two native poplar species to Britain; the other being black poplar (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia). It is a species recognised for its important ecological role as a host for numerous species and said to have more host-specific species than any other boreal tree. A fast-growing elegant tree that can reach 25 m. The grey bark is covered in distinctive diamond shaped lenticels and on a windy day the tree can often be heard before seen with its distinctive rustling, shimmering leaves which provide its other common name, quaking aspen. An important timber tree in parts of mainland Europe in Britain it mainly fills an ecological role in forest diversification or as a species for quick growing short rotation forestry. Increasing interest in planting suggests a need for further research into its potential as a productive forest species in Britain. Aspen is a native tree and is categorised as a secondary tree species. This is a species whose performance in trial plots has demonstrated promising silvicultural characteristics, but gaps in our knowledge constrain wider use. Such species are being actively evaluated to increase our understanding and inform future deployment.

London plane (LPL)

London plane is a hybrid between Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) from southern Europe and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). Generally thought to have a garden origin in Oxford during the 17th century with some disputed evidence of an origin in Spain hence its other commonly used name the syn. Platanus x hispanica. Very tolerant of atmospheric pollution and root compaction it is a popular street tree. With its mottled colourful bark, large size and stature it is instantly recognisable and an important part of London’s treescape, hence its common name. It is also widely planted in cities around the world with temperate climates for its ornamental and parkland value. The young leaves and seed shed short hairs and can be an irritant when breathed in. This can exacerbate breathing issues particularly for people with asthma. Although long cultivated and horticulturally well known there is little silvicultural knowledge on growing London plane as a productive forest tree in Britain. Current interest is the species may benefit from climate warming and its potential as an alternative to ash on some sites. London plane is categorised as a plot-stage species.  These are species that have demonstrated some positive silvicultural characteristics at the Specimen-stage and are now subject to further testing in a limited number of trial plots.

Alice Walker

Katarina Moravkova

Review of the Forest Trapping Network Year One Rollout 2022

The Forest Trapping Network (FTN) forms a major part of GB’s Future Surveillance Plan (FSP). The FSP is a Great Britain-wide, broad-spectrum strategy to monitor quarantine and priority insect pests of forests included in the Plant Health (Phytosanitary Conditions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. The FSP outlines several survey techniques which target species on the […]