Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006
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The research agency of the Forestry Commission Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts I 2005–2006 Together with the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts Presented to Parliament in pursuance of Section 45 of the Forestry Act 1967 and Section 5 of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 24 July 2006 HC 1407 Edinburgh: The Stationery Office £20.60 The research agency of the Forestry Commission Advisory Committee on Forest Research Chairman PROFESSOR J. M. LYNCH DR S. C. GREGORY PROFESSOR D. J. READ, FRS Chief Executive Forestry Commission Department of Animal and Plant Forest Research Corporate and Forestry Support Sciences University of Sheffield DR C. CAHALAN Dr K. J. KIRBY School of Agricultural Forestry and Woodland Officer Secretary and Forest Sciences English Nature PROFESSOR P. H. FREER-SMITH University of Wales Bangor Peterborough Research Director Forest Research PROFESSOR R. CLIFT, CBE PROFESSOR C. A. GILLIGAN Professor of Environmental Professor of Mathematical Biology Members Technology and Fellow King’s College PROFESSOR C. WARD THOMPSON Centre for Environment Strategy Department of Plant Sciences Director, OPENSpace Research University of Surrey University of Cambridge Centre and Research Professor of Landscape Architecture PROFESSOR P. JARVIS, FRS Edinburgh College of Art/ Emeritus Professor of Forestry and Heriot-Watt University Natural Resources Institute of Atmospheric and PROFESSOR D. EVANS Environmental Sciences Consultant in the field of novel crop School of GeoSciences management solutions University of Edinburgh Farnham, Surrey Forest Research Organisation 2006 Prof. Jim Lynch Chief Executive Prof. Peter Freer-Smith Research Director Prof. Sam Evans Dr Chris Quine Dr Andy Moffat Mr Bill Mason Dr Hugh Evans Dr Janet Dutch Mr Ken Charles Dr Xanthe Mr Tony Head of Head of Head of Head of Head of Head of Human Christophers Cornwell Biometrics, Ecology Environmental Forest Tree Health Technical Resources and Communications Finance and Surveys and Division and Human Management Division Services Administration Director IT Support Statistics ED Sciences Division THD Unit Director Director Division Division FMD TSU BSSD EHSD Cover photo: Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in mixed woodland in Hampshire. 2 Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 Contents About Forest Research . 4 Chief Executive’s Introduction . 6 Research Highlights . 14 Biometrics, Surveys and Statistics . 15 The first national inventory of woodland and trees: key outputs . 15 The use of LiDAR to derive individual tree and stand parameters . 16 Ecology . 17 Molecular methods to differentiate pine marten and fox scats . 17 Environmental and Human Sciences . 18 A monitoring and evaluation strategy for created greenspace on regenerated land . 18 Chemical Analysis Services and their role in project support . 19 Forest Management . 20 Direct seeding for the establishment of native woodlands: practice and problems . 20 EMIS: advising on tree establishment in the uplands of Britain . 21 Tree Health . 22 Green spruce aphid and the growth of Sitka spruce . 22 Horse-chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella . 23 Restoration of lowland conifer PAWS . 24 The use of DNA technology to advance the Sitka spruce breeding programme . 30 Monitoring amenity tree health in England: the condition survey of non-woodland amenity trees . 36 Publications, national and international links, research programmes, contracts and people . 44 Forestry Commission technical publications . 45 Publications by Forest Research staff . 46 National and international links . 54 Major research programmes undertaken by Forest Research . 56 Research contracts awarded by Forest Research . 62 Forest Research people as at 31 March 2006 . 63 Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2006 . 68 ISBN 0 10 293637 4 Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 3 About Forest Research Forest Research is an agency of the Forestry Commission and is the leading UK organisation engaged in forestry and tree related research. Aims and objectives The aims and objectives of Forest Research (FR) are to assist the Forestry Commission (FC) in achieving its high-level objective. On behalf of all three administrations, to take the lead in development and promotion of sustainable forest management and to support its achievement internationally. FR’s Aims To support and enhance forestry and its role in sustainable development, by providing high- quality research and development in a well-run organisation. FR’s Objectives • To inform and support forestry’s contribution to the development and delivery of the policies of the UK government and the devolved administrations. • To provide research, development and monitoring services relevant to UK forestry interests. • To transfer knowledge actively and appropriately. 4 Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 About Forest Research Research funding FR works closely with the FC, the Commission of the Much of FR’s work is funded by the FC with European Communities and other international Corporate and Forestry Support acting as purchaser of organisations to ensure compliance with international research and other services in support of forestry in agreements on the sustainable management of Britain, including the particular needs of England, forests and related subjects. The Agency also carries Scotland and Wales. Forest Enterprise was out work on genetic conservation, tree improvement, responsible for managing the FC estate during seed testing, method studies, product evaluation, 2005–06, and purchased research, development and crop inventory, surveys (e.g. The national inventory of surveys specifically related to this estate. In recent woodland and trees) and monitoring. years FR has successfully applied for external (non- Resources FC) funding from government departments, the The Agency has two main research stations, Alice European Union, UK research councils, commercial Holt Lodge in Hampshire and the Northern Research organisations, private individuals and charities. Station on the Bush Estate south of Edinburgh. The Collaborative bids with other research providers and main office of Technical Development (now part of consortium funding have become increasingly Forest Management Division) is located at Ae in important, placing emphasis on effective partnerships. Dumfriesshire with subsidiary offices in the English Activities Midlands and Wales. The Agency also has 9 field Research and development are essential components stations (the Technical Support Units) from which an in delivery of the benefits of sustainable forestry in a extensive network of field trials, sample plots and multifunctional landscape. FR’s research, surveys and monitoring sites is assessed. Contact information is related scientific services address the social, given on the inside back cover of this Report. The economic and environmental components of Agency employs c. 280 staff, not including visiting sustainability. There is a focus on providing new scientists and sandwich students. FR’s Corporate knowledge and practical solutions based on high Plan for the period 2005–2008 is available to quality science. Our projects provide understanding, download from policy advice and guidelines on implementation of www.forestresearch.gov.uk/corporateplans best practice (e.g. on forest hydrology, continuous cover forestry, timber quality, land reclamation to woodland, and restoration of native woodlands). Much of the research is directed at increasing the biodiversity, landscape and recreational benefits of woodlands. Protection of GB woodlands from pests and diseases, and predicting the impacts of environmental change are also overarching themes. Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 5 Chief Executive’s Introduction Last year I was pleased to report successful achievement of our targets over the past 5 years. I am glad to be able to do that again this year and also to focus on the new opportunities that are presented to us for the coming years. In January 2006 we were delighted to hear from the Office of Science and Technology (OST) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that we had been awarded £495,000 over 3 years to build capacity in Forest Research (FR) and develop our intellectual property. This is an exciting opportunity, not only to manage our intellectual property but to increase FR’s engagement with the forestry and wider environmental industries. I am pleased to announce that this has already led to four new patents, which quadruples the number of patents filed since Forestry Commission research began in 1919. Soon after our award, the OST was merged with the DTI’s Innovation Group (IG) to create the new Office of Science and Innovation (OSI). This came about as a result of the review of science, innovation and support for business. We were also pleased to hear in March 2006 that a Regulatory Reform Order went through Parliament to enable Forest Research alongside the Forestry Commission to engage in commercial activity such as the creation of spin-out companies, spin-in companies and joint venture activities. This is strongly in line with the OSI’s Agenda, that economic benefit should flow from publicly funded research as well as serving policy development. 6 Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005–2006 Chief Executive’s Introduction One of the potential problems in Public Sector establishment of a National