The research aims to enable the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. It will also improve our understanding of the value of trees to people and the planet, and support the expansion of treescapes across the UK.
The projects will receive a share of £10.5 million funding from UK Research and Innovation to:
understand how local authorities are meeting their tree planting targets, the cultural significance of trees to communities and how well they capture greenhouse gases
work creatively with young people to co-produce new approaches to creating and caring for treescapes that benefit the environment and society
investigate how trees respond to stress and pass on that memory to future generations
assess the potential of woodland restoration along over 200,000 km of England’s rivers and bodies of water
examine how community forests enable stakeholders to work in partnership to deliver multiple benefits from forests
study whether trees can adapt effectively to climate change, pests and diseases.
Expanding woodlands and forests
Trees, woodlands and forests play a vital role in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and nurturing biodiversity. Thirteen per cent of the UK is covered by woodland, and the UK government has pledged to plant millions of trees every year over the coming decades.
Expanding the UK’s trees, woodlands and forests will play an important role in realising the government’s ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, our treescapes need to become more resilient to pressures such as changing climate, disease, and competing demands for land in order to reverse decades of decline in biodiversity and environmental quality.
Nature-based climate solutions
This November, the UK government will host the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow where countries will be expected to set out their plans for reaching net zero by 2050. The Future of UK Treescapes programme will contribute evidence to help policymakers and land managers expand our treescapes and reach this target.
Involving multi-disciplinary teams from thirteen universities and research institutes, over 40 non-academic partners and supporters, and with funding for three years, this funding forms part of the £14.5 million Future of UK Treescapes Programme, involving:
Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC)
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Welsh Government
Scottish Government
Forestry Commission
Protecting trees for future generations
Forestry Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said: "I am delighted to be supporting this new research programme, which will emphasise the importance of treescapes and help deliver our tree planting ambitions.
"In the run up to COP26 this is an exciting opportunity to showcase how the UK’s cutting-edge science can deepen our understanding of the health and environmental benefits provided by trees while ensuring they are protected for future generations."
Supporting and championing the projects are the Programme Ambassadors, Professor Clive Potter of the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, and Dr Julie Urquhart of the Countryside & Community Research Institute at the University of Gloucestershire.
Professor Potter says: "Threats to and the vital role of treescapes have never been clearer. The UK government is creating ambitious policies and targets towards increasing tree cover and managing tree health, but better evidence of how to achieve this is crucial in underpinning the success of such initiatives."
Dr Urquhart says: "We wanted to encourage new interdisciplinary collaborations that would develop potential pioneering projects that will shape and deepen our understanding of the environmental, social, cultural and economic value of trees, woods and forests to society for years to come.
"This programme and its projects are partnering with stakeholders from policy, land ownership and civil society, to ensure the outcomes have direct application to achieving climate change, nature recovery and wellbeing goals."
Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Executive Chair of NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, said: "Our trees and forests are a precious resource and part of the solution to tackling the climate and ecological emergencies we face and helping the UK reach net zero in 2050.
"This research will increase our understanding of the huge societal, economic, cultural and environmental benefits associated with treescapes. This includes the importance of trees in urban spaces, why we connect with forests, and how we encourage landowners and farmers to plant more trees.
"This knowledge will help us identify where and how we can expand our woodlands and ensure their resilience to pressures and stresses over decades and centuries."
Chris Stark, Head of Sustainable Management at Scottish Forestry, said: "Scotland’s ambition is to reach net zero by 2045 and the country’s forests and woodlands are playing a significant role in helping us achieve this target.
"Scotland provides around 80% of the UK woodland creation target. We are increasing our yearly woodland creation targets to 18,000 hectares a year by 2024 to 2025 and this will help soak up millions of harmful CO2 emissions. This increase in woodland cover will also improve the environment, boost nature and generate over a £1 billion to the Scottish economy each year.
"We are supportive of the different strands to this research which will help inform how we manage and futureproof our woodland resource for generations to come."
The six projects are led by the University of York, Manchester Metropolitan University, Loughborough University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.