Alan Harrison, BSc, MSc

Project Manager, Centre for Forest Resources and Management

Alan obtained a BSc in forestry at Aberdeen University in 1979. He went on to work in the private sector, both overseas (Australia and Solomon Islands) and in the UK, before joining the Forestry Commission as a Forester in 1985. He worked in what is now part of Cowal & Trossachs FD on both forest management and timber production. He joined Forest Research in 1989 managing the nursery and associated experiments run from Bush Field Station at NRS. He transferred to his present position in 2003. He obtained an MSc (with distinction) in Forest Ecology and Management at Edinburgh University in 2006.

Current role

Research Scientist, Centre for Forest Resources and Management

Project Manager, Forestry Commission Scotland, on part-time secondment developing a series of  biomass trials and looking at the production and promotion of quality broadleaf crops.

Current programmes

• Integrated establishment systems for the uplands
  Project Manager.
• Management of long-term experiments
  Project Manager.

Affiliations and achievements

• Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters
• Member of the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB)

Research areas

• Nursery production and plant quality
• Cultivation and establishment techniques for commercial and native woodlands
• Farm forestry and shelterbelts
• Forest nutrition
• Short rotation forestry and bimass production
• Alternative species.

---

Main recent publications

Harrison, A.J. (2010). Interim Guidance on the Grant Aiding and Planting of Eucaltyptus in Scotland ^(PDF-1190K). Forestry Commission Scotland.

Mason, W.L., Jinks, R.L. and Harrison, A.J. (2008). An Overview of Long-term Forest Experiments in Great Britain managed by Forest Research. In: Karlsson, Kristian (eds.). 2008. Long-Term Field Experiments in Forest Research. Metlan työraportteja / Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute 105. 47 s. ISBN 978-951-40-2144-2 (PDF).

Willougby, I., Harrison, A.J., Jinks, R., Gosling, P., Harmer, R. and Kerr, G. (2007). The Potential for Direct Seeding of Birch on Restock Sites.  Forestry Commission Informantion Note 84, Forestry Commission, Edinburgh. 

Perks, M. and Harrison, A. J. (2005). An Update on Nursery Propagation and Establishment Best Practice for Larch in Britain, Forest Research Information Note 80, Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Harrison, A. J. (2004). Benefits of Cultivation, ICF News, autumn edition.

Harrison, A.J., Hoffmann, D., Kannenberg, N., Lelu, M-A., Verger, M., Le Pichon, C., Bourlon, V. and Thompson, D. (2002).  Developments in hybrid larch (Larix x eurolepis Henry) vegetative propagation in North Western Europe.  Proceedings of Larix 2002 IUFRO Symposium, France. p.250-265.