Projects per year
Abstract
Many governments have set ambitious targets for tree planting and increased woodland cover as a key part of actions to reach net‐zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, many uncertainties remain concerning how and where to expand tree cover, what species to plant, and how best to manage new plantations. Much contemporary forestry has been based on even‐aged monocultures, largely because of perceived advantages for timber production. However, in order to play a key role in climate change mitigation future forests will have to achieve timber production (and wider ecosystem service provision) alongside resilience to biotic and abiotic challenge. It is therefore crucial that appropriate informed decisions are made with regard to the structure, composition, and planning of future forests, in order to provide sustainable solutions that provide environmental, economic, and health benefits to society. Genetically diverse, mixed, and irregular forests, with their higher biodiversity and niche complementarity, are promising new forest configurations for regulating the water cycle, storing carbon, and delivering other goods and services. In the following discussion, we have used UK information to illustrate the benefits of mixed woodland versus monocultures and highlighted current issues related to government initiatives and policies for current and future forests. However, similar issues and problems are encountered globally.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e518 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Food and Energy Security |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 6 Mar 2024 |
DOIs |
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Publication status | Published - Mar 2024 |
Bibliographical note
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) gratefully acknowledges support from the JABBS Foundation, the University of Birmingham, the Wolfson Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, the John Horseman Trust, the Woodland Trust, and the Ecological Continuity Trust. The authors would like to extend thanks to the Technical Team at BIFoR FACE who maintains and operates the experimental forest infrastructure of BIFoR in Staffordshire for research work. ARMK and SU acknowledge support from the UK Natural Environment Research Council through grants NE/S015833/1 and NE/T000449/1, respectively.
Keywords
- continuous cover forestry
- mixed planting
- forest genetic resource
- elevated CO2
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Quinquennial (half-decadal) carbon and nutrient dynamics in temperate forests: Implications for carbon sequestration in a high carbon dioxide world
Ullah, S. (Co-Investigator), Shi, Z. (Co-Investigator), MacKenzie, R. (Principal Investigator) & Mayoral, C. (Co-Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council, Match Equipment - NERC
28/10/19 → 28/06/25
Project: Research Councils
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FACE underground: can trees in mature forests gain greater access to soil nutrients under elevated atmospheric CO2?
Ullah, S. (Principal Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
6/01/20 → 31/10/23
Project: Research Councils