Gary Kerr, BSc, PhD, FICFor, CEnv

Programme Group Manager, Centre for Forest Resources and Management

Gary graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor in 1985 with a BSc (Hons) in Forestry. Later in 1985 he was employed by the Forestry Commission and worked as a forest manager in the Forest of Dean. In 1988 Gary moved to Forest Research at Alice Holt to become Head of Mensuration Branch. In 1990 he changed roles to become a silviculturist. In 2002 Gary was awarded his PhD from the University of Wales; his Thesis was ‘ Factors affecting the growth and form of Fraxinus excelsior L.’. Since 2003 Gary has been Editor-in-Chief of Forestry: An international journal of forest research.  In 2010 he became the Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group 1.05.00 on Uneven-aged silviculture.

Current role

Programme Group Manager, Centre for Forest Resources and Management

Current programmes

Continuous cover silviculture
Project Manager

Affiliations and achievements

• Fellow of Institute of Chartered Foresters
• Editor-in-Chief of Forestry: an international journal of forest research
• Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group 1.05.00 on Uneven-aged silviculture
• President’s Award from the Institute of Chartered Foresters for meritorious service in 2009
• Chartered Environmentalist
• 1993 James Cup for best article in Quarterly Journal of Forestry
• 1996 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to Northeast USA
• James Cup runner-up in 1997, 2000 and 2009

Research areas

• Transformation to alternative silvicultural systems
• Uneven-aged silviculture
• Continuous cover forestry
• Lowland silviculture

---

Main publications

Davies, O. and Kerr, G. (2011). Costs and Revenues of Transformation to Continuous Cover Forestry ^(PDF-568K).  Report to the Forestry Commission by Forest Research.  Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey, England.

Kerr, G. (2011). A review of the growth, yield and biomass distribution of species planted in the English network trials of short rotation forestry.  In, Forest Research Monograph 2 (McKay, H.M. ed.) Short rotation forestry: review of growth and environmental impacts ^(PDF-3255K). Forest Research, Farnham, Surrey. 212pp.

Kerr, G. and Haufe, J. (2011). Thinning Practice: A Silvicultural Guide. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G. and Evans, J. (2011). Eucalypts for Short Rotation Forestry: a case study from the 1980s. Quarterly Journal of Forestry. 105(2): 109-117.

Harmer, R., Kerr, G. and Thompson, R. (2010). Management of Native Broadleaved Woodland.  The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G, Morgan, G., Blyth, J. and Stokes, V. (2010). Transformation from even-aged plantations to an irregular forest: the world's longest running trial area at Glentress, Scotland.  Forestry, 83: 329-344.

Comeau, P.G., White, M., Kerr, G. and Hale, S.E. (2010). Maximum density-size relationships for Sitka spruce and coastal Douglas-fir in Britain and Canada.  Forestry, 83:461-468.

Stokes, V. and Kerr, G. (2009). The evidence supporting the use of CCF in adapting Scotland’s forests to the risks of climate change ^(PDF-891K). Report to the Forestry Commission Scotland by Forest Research.  Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey, England.

Willoughby, I., Stokes, V. and Kerr, G. (2009). Side shelter on lowland sites can benefit early growth of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.). Forestry, 82:199-210.

Poore, A. and Kerr, G. (2009). Continuous Cover Silviculture at the Stourhead (Western) Estate, Wiltshire, UK. Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 103:23-30.

Stokes, V., Kerr, G. and Ireland, D. (2009) Seedling height and the impact of harvesting operations on advance regeneration of conifer species in upland Britain. Forestry, 82:185-198.

Hale, S. and Kerr, G. (2009). Factors to consider when defining acceptable stocking levels for conifer regeneration in continuous cover forestry. Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 103(2):111-119.

Savill, P.S., Kerr, G. and Kotar, M. (2009). Future Prospects for the Production of Timber from Valuable Broadleaves.  In, Valuable Broadleaved Forests in Europe (Ed. Spiecker, H; Hein, S; Makkonen-Spiecker, K and Thies, M.).  European Forest Institute Research Report 22.  European Forest Institute, Leiden, Boston.

Kerr, G. (2008). Managing Continuous Cover Forests. Forestry Commission Operational Guidance Booklet 7. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G., Gosling, P., Morgan, G., Stokes, V., Cunningham, V. and Parratt, M. (2008). Seed production and seedling survival in a 50 year-old stand of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio) in southern Britain. Forestry, 81(4):525-541.

Hemery, G., Spiecker, H., Aldinger, E., Kerr, G., Collet, C. and Bell, S. (2008). COST Action E42: Growing valuable broadleaved tree species ^(PDF-1.74Mb).  Final Report; September 2008.

Kerr, G. (2008). Still unsure about continuous cover forestry? Forestry and Timber news, December 2008, p13-14.

Willoughby, I., Harrison, A., Jinks, R., Gosling, P., Harmer, R. and Kerr, G. (2007). The Potential for direct seeding of birch on restock sites ^(PDF-386K).  Forestry Commission Information Note 84.  Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Pepper, H.W. and Kerr, G. (2005). Preliminary studies on collars to protect trees from grey squirrel bark-stripping damage.  Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 99(2):105-112.

Kerr, G. and Morgan, G. (2005). Does formative pruning improve the form of broadleaved trees? Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 36:132-141.

Kerr, G. (2004). The growth and form of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in mixture with cherry (Prunus avium), oak (Quercus petraea and Quercus robur) and beech (Fagus sylvatica).  Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 34(11):2340-2350.

Kerr, G., Mason, B. and Boswell, R. (2003) A sampling system to monitor the transformation from even-aged stands to continuous cover.  Forestry, 76(4): 425-435.

Kerr, G. and Cahalan, C. (2004) .A review of site factors affecting the early growth of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.).  Forest Ecology and Management,188(1-3):225-234.

Mason, B. and Kerr, G. (2004). Transforming even-aged conifer stands to continuous cover management ^(PDF-88K).  Forestry Commission Information Note 40. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G. (2004). Tending. In, Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences Volume 2:837-845 (ed. Burley, J; Evans, J. Youngquist, J.A.).  Elsevier, Oxford, UK.

Kerr, G. and Rose, D. (2004). An evaluation of five WildstarTM clones of Prunus avium L.. Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 98(4):263-271.

Kerr, G. (2003). Effects of spacing on the early growth of planted Fraxinus excelsior L. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 33(7):1196-1207.

Kerr, G., Mason, B., Boswell, R. & Pommerening, A. (2002). Monitoring the transformation to continuous cover management ^(PDF-188K).  Forestry Commission Information Note 45.  Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G. (2002). The potential for the sustainable management of semi-natural woodlands in southern England using uneven-aged silviculture. Forestry, 75:227-243.

Harmer, R., Peterken, P., Kerr, G. and Poulton, P. (2001). Vegetation changes during 100 years of development of two secondary woodlands on abandoned arable land. Biological Conservation, 101: 291-304.

Kerr, G and Harmer, R.. (2001). Production of epicormic shoots on oak (Quercus robur L.): effects of frequency and time of pruning. Forestry, 74(5):467-478.

Kerr, G. (2001). Uneven-aged silviculture in Britain. Forest Research Report 2001/2, p35-42. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Kerr, G. and Boswell, R.C. (2001). The influence of spring frosts, ash bud moth (Prays fraxinella) and site factors on forking of young ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in southern Britain.  Forestry, 74(1):29-40.

Kerr, G., Harmer, S. and Moss, S. (2000). A century of vegetation change at Broadbalk Wilderness.  In, Long-term studies in British woodland (ed. K.Kirby and M.D.Morecroft), p41-47.  English Nature Science No. 34.  English Nature, Peterborough, England.

Kerr, G. and O'Hara, K.L. (2000). Uneven-aged silviculture: common myths explored.  Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 94(2): 145-150.

Kerr, G. (2000). Natural regeneration of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio) in Great Britain.  Forestry, 73(5):479-488.

Mason, B., Kerr, G. and Simpson, J. (1999). What is Continuous Cover Forestry? ^(PDF-81K) Forestry Commission Information Note 29. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh. 8pp.

Kerr, G. (1999). The use of silvicultural systems to enhance the biological diversity of plantation forests in Britain. Forestry, 72(3):191-205.