AWDev (NCF): Ancient Woodland and Development Impacts

Ancient woodlands provide some of Great Britain’s most biodiverse and culturally significant habitats. Current planning policy aims to protect these ‘irreplaceable’ habitats from the direct and indirect impacts of nearby development. However, assessing the potential impact of development on nearby habitats is complex and impeded by evidence gaps. Our aim is to deliver evidence to underpin future policy, practice, and industry guidance critical to safeguarding ancient woodlands whilst supporting responsible development and woodland use.

Josh Weaver

Ellie Scopes

Petra Guy

Nicola Cotterill

Robin Jarvie

Alice Haughan

Matt Guy

Ecology of natural colonisation

Interdisciplinary fieldwork aims to establish a robust methodology to assess the efficacy of ‘natural colonisation’ as an approach to establish new woodland and its impacts on biodiversity and above and below ground carbon. Key questions being evidenced are: Which tree species have colonised and established via natural colonisation? What is the density and...

Natural colonisation as a strategy for woodland creation and expansion

Natural colonisation  occurs when tree seed reaches a site and establishes where woodland has not recently existed. This differs from natural regeneration where new trees establish within existing woodland or where woodland has recently been located. Supporting woodland expansion through such natural processes, is another method with potential to contribute to...

Woodland Creation and Expansion – Programme 6

This research aims to find out how to expand woodland cover in a way that maximises ecological and social benefits. The programme complements the other six programmes and follows collaborative principles to produce tools which support land managers, stakeholders and policy makers to increase engagement with woodland creation activities

Nora Kerecsenyi

Felix Trotter

Alice Broome

Andrew Rattey

Shelley Kennedy

Duncan Ray

Darren Moseley