Forestry Authority Forestry Commission REPORT ON FOREST RESEARCH 1994 Forestry Commission HMSO ARCHIVE REPORT ON FOREST RESEARCH for the year ended March 1994 LONDON: HMSO © Crown copyright 1994 Applications for reproduction A d v is o r y C o m m it t e e o n F o r e s t R e s e a r c h should be made to HMSO ISBN 0 11 710327 6 Membership at 31 March 1994 FDC 945.4: (410) The abbreviated title of this Report is Chairm an Rep. Forest Res., Edin. 1994 D r J.P. D e m p s t e r , B .S c ., D.I.C., Ph.D., D.Sc. The Limes, The Green, Hilton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE18 9NA. Secretary Dr J. Evans, B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., F.I.C. For. Forestry Commission, Alice Holt Lodge. M em bers P r o f e s s o r E.C. C o c k in g , Ph.D., D.Sc., F.I.Biol., F.R.S. Department of Botany, School of Biological Sciences, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD. P r o f e s s o r R.M. C o r m a c k , B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.Ed. Statistics Division, Department of Mathematical Sciences, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS. D r M.P. D e n n e , B.Sc., Ph.D. School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW. P r o f e s s o r D . H e n d e r s o n , B .S c ., F.R.S.Ed., F.L.S. Larachan, 54 Lonemore, Gairloch, Ross-shire, IV21 2 D B . P r o f e s s o r J.M. H i r s t , D.Sc., B.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.Biol., F.R.S. The Cottage, Butcombe, Bristol, BS18 6XQ. P r o f e s s o r H.G. M i l l e r , B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc., F.R.S.Ed. Department of Forestry, University of Aberdeen, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB9 2UU. Dr W.E.S. M u t c h , O.B.E., B.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C.For. 19 Barnton Grove, Edinburgh, EH4 6EQ. D r M.B. U s h e r , B.Sc., Ph.D. Scottish Natural Heritage, 12 Hope Terrace, Edinburgh, EH9 4AS. CONTENTS Introduction byD. A. Burdekin, Director Research 1 Branch Reports Entomology 5 Environmental Research 10 Forest Products 14 Mensuration 19 Mycorrhiza Research Unit 23 Pathology 24 Plant Production 30 Silviculture (North) 33 Silviculture (South) 40 Tree Improvement 45 Wildlife and Conservation Research 50 Wildlife Ecology 53 Communications 58 Statistics and Computing (North) 60 Statistics and Computing (South) 61 Appendices 1 Publications by Research Division staff 63 2 Research Division organisation 70 3 Research Division branches and their project groups at 31 March 1994 71 4 Net expenditure of Research Division 1993/94 73 5 Contract work done by Research Division 74 6 Research contracts awarded by Research Division 76 7 Staff employed in Research Division at 31 March 1994 78 8 Addresses of research locations 82 Index 85 INTRODUCTION by David Burdekin Director Research This Research Report contrasts strongly with that of 30 years ago. Not only has the quality of the publication improved but the content has changed to reflect the changing priorities and the use of increasingly sophisticated tech­ niques. The reason for the historical interest will emerge in due course. Some of the subjects reported on in the 1964 annual report such as forest entomology and forest pathology are still with us. Others have become much less significant because know­ ledge and techniques have improved as a result of the application of research findings. This is particularly the case for research into nursery practice, establishment techniques on impover­ ished upland sites, species choice and vegeta­ tion control. But new problems and opportuni­ ties have arisen and the report illustrates the increasing emphasis on environmental research, tree improvement and the establishment of trees on former agricultural land. The 1964 report referred to the installation of the first computer in Research Division, an International Computers and Tabulators SIRIUS. It had seven kilobytes of memory whereas the current Sun System has 200 megabytes i.e. a near 30 000 fold increase in capacity. Foliar autumn of 1993. The document emphasises the analysis was in its infancy and only concerned importance of research being directed at wealth with three macro nutrients. Today 23 elements creation and improving the quality of life. can be analysed per sample and analysis can Forestry research can meet both of these crite­ proceed 24 hours a day using the latest spectro- ria. Increasing emphasis is being given to serv­ span equipment. A third contrast has been the ing customers, to being efficient in the use of level of control of the environment such that resources and to competing for research con­ today trees are being grown experimentally in tracts. These have created a need for additional open-top chambers which simulate the elevated skills amongst researchers and research man­ carbon dioxide and ozone concentrations agers. As part of the follow up to the White expected in 50 years time. Also, the 1964 report Paper the Division was visited by members of a made no direct reference to work at the Northern team scrutinising public sector research estab­ Research Station which was to open in 1970 on lishments. Their report was awaited at time of the Bush Estate of Edinburgh University. going to press. The management of research has also Very significant advances have been made changed in this time. The Government’s White over the past 30 years. Some of the latest Paper on Science and Technology entitled achievements in our current forest research are Realising our potential was published in the highlighted below. 1 INTRODUCTION ing in the post-war period reaching maturity. In R e s e a r c h h ig h l ig h t s order to maximise returns on these sawlogs information is needed on quality as well as quantity. The following is a selection of highlights from A major initiative was started during the year the research described in this report. It is neces­ to develop a method for predicting sawlog grade sarily a somewhat arbitrary choice but in the and outturn from data on standing trees. An ini­ current climate of customer-oriented research a tial study confirmed the importance of straight­ range of examples are discussed in this context. ness and that this can be consistently assessed within the crop. The method is being developed Impact of insects on tree growth to improve forecasts of assortments at both the There is currently little recorded evidence of stand and strategic level and to help managers the impact of insect pest populations on the decide on the optimum timing of felling. incremental growth of trees. Serious losses are The importance of management practices on often proclaimed but measurements are often log quality and timber strength is becoming lacking. increasingly apparent. Detailed investigations of Annual records of populations of B upalus data from spacing experiments in non-thinned piniaria, the pine looper moth, have been Sitka spruce have shown that yields of struc­ taken since the 1950s. Regression analyses tural grade timber are likely to be reduced if ini­ have indicated that some 40-60 per cent of the tial planting spacings are greater than two variation in increment is related to the insect metres. A publication of these results (Brazier numbers. and Mobbs, 1993) in Forestry won the award for The unique set of data for pine looper popu­ the best paper of the year (the Percy Stubbs and lations is not available for other forest pests. John Bolton King and Edward Garfitt prize for Experimental studies have therefore been initi­ Silviculture awarded by the Institute of ated where insect numbers are artificially con­ Chartered Foresters). trolled. Populations are either reduced by insec­ ticidal control or enhanced by introduction of Biotechnology and tree improvement the pest insect. These studies are using both The Tree Improvement Branch has had a long­ Elatobium abietinum, the spruce aphid, and term interest in biochemical markers for iden­ Rhyacionia buoliana, pine shoot moth, as mod­ tifying tree populations, including native Scots els. pine. More recently, however, the Branch has commissioned research at Nottingham Climate change and enhanced COz University to investigate techniques for intro­ Research on environmental issues, including ducing new genes into Sitka spruce. This that related to climate change, is being given a research has the ultimate aim of producing high priority. genetically transformed plants. Three open-top chamber experiments com­ Two techniques for the delivery of new genes paring tree growth in filtered and ambient air have been tested. The first used a bacterium, have recently been concluded. Two of these Agrobacterium tumefaciens, as the vector and experiments, at Alice Holt and at Glendevon, the second was by means of particle gun. Both have been converted into trials with enhanced techniques were successful using a marker gene C02. At Glendevon, in a joint project with and the project has been extended for a further Edinburgh University and funded by the year to confirm these results. European Union, the growth of trees is being tested in air with twice the current concentra­ Windthrow prediction tions of C02, with variants of nutrition and There have been significant milestones in the water supply. Significant increased growth was progress of research and technology transfer on noted in the first season especially with addi­ windthrow.