Aim:

Stakeholder perceptions and socio-ecological consequences of treescape expansion through planting and natural colonisation

A lone tree with blue sky behind

Project Description

There is growing interest in allowing trees to colonise new areas naturally. This approach could be cost-effective, provide resilience against pests and increase biodiversity. But is it scalable?

TreE_PlaNat explored the social and ecological outcomes of natural colonisation, land managers’ attitudes towards natural colonisation, and how it can complement tree planting to scale up woodland expansion.

Through a knowledge user board, we identified resource gaps for land managers and decision-makers. The team addressed these with written guides, illustrations, webinars and blog posts.

What we discovered...

  • We highlighted the distinct benefits of diverse woodland expansion methods and their potential for scaling up treescape expansion effectively while balancing ecological, economic and societal goals.
  • Financial incentives, resilience and ecological goals influence land managers’ choice of woodland creation methods. Most land managers value all approaches, but they considered hybrid approaches better than either planting or natural colonisation alone.
  • Woodlands incorporating natural colonisation are often more structurally diverse than planted woodlands – they exhibit greater variation in canopy height and more open woody vegetation.
  • The effectiveness of tree planting and natural colonisation depends on the management objectives of landowners and site-specific factors, such as soil type and proximity to existing woodlands, underscoring the need for tailored approaches. These need to be supported by robust decision-making tools and guidance.

Project Lead(s)

Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor, University of Stirling

Project Website

https://www.wren-project.com/tree-planat.html