Reclamation of man-made sites for forestry

 

Use of land degraded by former industrial and urban activity makes an increasingly important contribution to the expansion of woodland.  Trees planted on such sites offer immense social benefits in addition to the possibility of economic activity on formerly unproductive land.  Research in this programme has already enabled techniques to be developed to overcome the physically hostile rooting environments and poor nutritional status of degraded land.  Work is now concentrated on the use of bio-indicators to quickly judge site suitability; cost effective techniques to ensure tree establishment and growth; and the effects of trees on the dynamics of potentially toxic materials in so-called “contaminated land”. Our objective is to enable afforestation to be carried out effectively and without releasing toxic substances into the surrounding land or water.  The programme also supports a large consultancy requirement from Forestry Commission partners in fulfilment of objectives in the English Forestry Strategy, as well as across Great Britain generally. Internet pages (http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/fr/infd-5suk5s) provide an easily accessible and more detailed description of the programme and recent outputs but are also summarised advice for practitioners.

The programme has an important advisory function for Forestry Commission staff and the forestry industry; this includes provision of advisory pages on the Land Regeneration Unit’s website.  Peer-reviewed papers on the potential for biological indications of possible forest end-use, and a summary of protocols for the early assessment of reclamation sites are planned.

The programme has an important advisory function for the forestry industry and land reclamation guidance pages are under construction which will be presented on the Land Regeneration Unit’s website. The programme also supports a large consultancy requirement from FC and FE partners in fulfilment of objectives in the English Forestry Strategy, as well as across Great Britain generally.

Key programmes include the Forestry Commission’s £23 m Newlands Programme, funded by the North West Development Agency, which aims to restore 435 ha of brownfield and contaminated land to Community Woodland. Briefs produced under the remit of this programme are presented below and further information is available here.

Phase I Site Investigation (pdf)

Phase II Instructive Site Investigation (pdf)

Commissioned reports

No reports available at this time