Introduction: Woodland birds are becoming prominent in a number of policy areas through the inclusion of woodland birds as a Quality of Life indicator, a PSA target, and in recent corporate plans for FC England, FC Scotland and FC Wales. This and the decline in their populations in some parts of the UK, is highlighting the need to prioritise research needs for woodland birds.
Background: the workshop built on the findings of an earlier Forestry Research Coordination Committee (FRCC) workshop held in York in April 2003 which discussed the potential research agenda for woodland birds.
Recommendations made to the FRCC from the 2003 workshop highlighted: woodland management, the implications of woodland management to meet other objectives, recent changes in woodland character, likely future forest composition, extent and location in the landscape as important considerations in the research agenda. Full report on workshop at http://www.frcc.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-5YUE5G
Aim of 2009 Workshop - support achievement of country policy statements by refining understanding of research requirements and prioritising research requirements.
Recent research suggests that the delivery of woodland management is key to the fate of woodland birds. We heard from practitioners about what they are able to do for woodland birds and the issues they are faced with in term of management and woodland birds.
East Midlands Woodland Bird Project - Current Action for Woodland Birds - Neil Riddle
Woodland Bird Management on the National Forest Estate in Scotland - Kenny Kortland
Policy makers are faced with a different set of challenges when developing mechanisms to influence ecological processes such as changes in woodland bird populations. Speakers were invited to highlight barriers, highlight which of those could be overcome with research and also possible opportunities that may exist in current policies which might benefit woodland birds.
FC policy in England relating to woodland birds - Jonathan Spencer
Woodland birds research needs in Scotland - Gordon Patterson
Woodland Birds and Policy in FC Wales - Chris Tucker
Both practitioners and policy makers require researchers to provide an evidence base to support the decisions they need to make. The final set of presentations enabled researchers to present findings from new research projects that have specifically considered woodland birds and to highlight ongoing research that will provide more information for decision makers.
Evidence for drivers of decline and priorities for future research - Elisabeth Charman
Woodland bird populations and changing habitat structures - Rob Fuller
Summing-up of presentations - Alice Broome
The workshop sessions enabled attendees to discuss the three sets of presentations, then distill barriers to delivery for woodland birds that are caused by the need for research. The groups then specified the research needed, and ranked in order of priority. Finally, all attendees identified a prioritized list of research needs.
Below is the synthesis of research needs identified and an interpretation of the delegates ranking of their relative importance.
For more information contact
Dr Sallie Baliey
sallie.bailey@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
0131 314 6449
