Research organisations
The Forestry Commission is active in commissioning research into many areas which inform our understanding of climate change. Forest ResearchMost of the research funded by the Forestry Commission is carried out by its research agency Forest Research. The Agency is the principal organisation in Britain involved in forest and tree-related research. Forest Research is a world leader in the research and development of sustainable forestry and its researchers are experts in forest science and land use. Their work informs tree and woodland policies and practices across Britain and beyond. By improving their understanding of how woodland ecosystems respond to environmental change, Forest Research scientists are better able to predict species survival and growth, enabling them to develop practical guidance on how best to adapt to forthcoming climate changes. For example, Forest Research’s Straits Flux Station, set in a 70-year-old oak woodland in Alice Holt Forest near Farnham, Hampshire monitors the exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapour between the woodland and the atmosphere. Results indicate that one hectare of woodland absorbs five tonnes of carbon every year. Variation in weather patterns and the corresponding effects on carbon exchange help researchers interpret the likely effects of climate change and develop realistic models of forest growth in order to make further predictions. This research, coupled with data from a UK forest carbon inventory that Forest Research scientists are developing, is helping quantify the contribution forests make to climate change mitigation through their ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Other sources of informationThere are many research institutes and scientific organisations around the world studying climate change. Links to key sources of information for the UK are listed opposite.
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