The Forestry Commission undertakes a wide range of research to support its objectives of protecting and expanding Britain's forests and woodlands and increasing their value to society and the environment.
These objectives support the UK Government's policy of sustainable forest management that provides social, economic and environmental benefits.
The Forestry Commission's Science and Innovation Strategy sets out how the research programmes are determined and how they are linked to forestry strategies and the wider policy objectives of the UK Government and the devolved administrations. From 2010, annual reports of the progress of programmes set out in the strategy will be published here. The 2011 Annual Report is now available.
The Forestry Commission’s research portfolio can be accessed by following the link to 'research programmes' in the left-hand column of this page. Reports of commissioned research are also published under the appropriate programme headings where these are available.
Forest Research, an agency of the Forestry Commission, is the main contractor undertaking research programmes for the Forestry Commission. It is the principal organisation in Britain involved in forest and tree-related research.
An external, independent review of science quality at Forest Research was undertaken in December 2011. A summary of the review, and the Forestry Commission response has been published.
The Forestry Commission is a member of Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) and is also involved in other similar research co-ordination bodies, for example, a Co-ordinated Agenda for Marine, Environment & Rural Affairs Science in Scotland (CAMERAS). Membership of these organisations is designed to improve the co-ordination of research within the UK, avoid the duplication of research activities, and ensure that programmes of research are cost effective and appropriate to the current context.