Technical services

Forest Research provide technical and environmental expertise and services to scientists, woodland managers and land based industries including other sections of the Forestry Commission, in-house programmes and external organisations.

Our network of field stations gives us the capacity to conduct field work on a GB basis. It also provides:

• Local contact and liaison between Forest Research and networks of regional Forestry Commission staff and partner organisations
• Local knowledge and access to a full range of ecological habitats throughout the country.

Areas of expertise encompass:

• Experiment management
  Experiment design and planning, establishing, maintaining and assessing field experiments
• Ecological surveys
  General botanical identification and survey techniques, habitat survey and mapping methods
• Soil and site surveys
  Soil mapping, site inspections, fertilser prescriptions
• Forest surveys
  Design, monitor and deliver a range of survey assignments and techniques
• Nurseries
  Collection, preparation and sowing of seed, rootstock grafting, vegetative propagation.

Research programmes

Technical services contributes to programmes and projects across all of the Research Centres within Forest Research.

Commercial service

Technical services provide a fully integrated package incorporating:

• Experiment planning and design
• Site selection
• Management
• Assessments
• Statistical analysis
• Report production.

We also offer expert advice from specialists in a range of forestry and ecological disciplines.

For further information

Technical services within Forest Research is centred in the Technical Services Unit. Contact:

Dr Helen McKay
Head of Technical Services Unit
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian GU10 4LH

Tel: 0131 445 6955
Fax: 0131 445 5124 23653
Email: helen.mckay@forestry.gsi.gov.uk