Increased rates of woodland creation and tree establishment on UK farms

Description of impact

There is a huge current policy drive across the UK to increase rates of woodland creation/tree planting. In England and Wales progress has been very poor. Research in the forestry group of SNS is providing importance evidence and tools to contribute towards this need. Should an expansion of the rate of woodland creation occur during coming years we will need to investigate carefully to establish what role our research outputs have paid in this.
Citation of evidence in the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme: Carbon Sequestration Evidence Review Panel: full report https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2025-04/sustainable-farming-scheme-carbon-sequestration-evidence-review-panel-full-report.pdf

Description of the underpinning research

Hardaker, A, Pagella, T & Rayment, M 2021, 'Ecosystem service and dis-service impacts of increasing tree cover on agricultural land by land-sparing and land-sharing in the Welsh uplands', Ecosystem Services, vol. 48, 101253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101253Hardaker, A, Pagella, T & Rayment, M 2020, 'Integrated assessment, valuation and mapping of ecosystem services and dis-services from upland land use in Wales', Ecosystem Services, vol. 43, 101098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101098Hardaker, A. (with contributions from Healey, J.R.) (2021). Economic Aspects of Woodland Creation for Timber Production 1-6. Woodknowledge Wales in Association with Bangor University, 11 p. https://woodknowledge.wales/home-grown-homes/afforestation.Peters, T.D., Hardaker, A.R., Dauksta, D., Newman, G., Lellig, C., & Healey, J.R. (2021). Top Five Alternative Conifer Tree Species in Great Britain. Cardiff: Welsh Government, Government Social Research report number C160/2020/2021, 132 p. https://woodknowledge.wales/wkw-resource/forestry/top-five-alternative-conifer-tree-species-review
Wiik, E., Pagella, T., Healey, J.R., Bathgate, S., McKay, H. & Jenkins, T. (2020). Analysis of the viability of “land sparing” and “land sharing” strategies for commercial woodland expansion within Wales. pp. 9-64 in Wiik, E, Hunter, S., Andrews, W., Healey, J.R., Bathgate, S., McKay, H., Jenkins, T. & Pagella, T. (2020). Climate Smart Woodlands in Wales. Final Report of a project commissioned by Welsh Government from Bangor University and Forest Research.Pagella, T. & Healey, J.R. (2020). Agroforestry in Wales. pp. 65-105 in Wiik, E, Hunter, S., Andrews, W., Healey, J.R., Bathgate, S., McKay, H., Jenkins, T. & Pagella, T. (2020). Climate Smart Woodlands in Wales. Final Report of a project commissioned by Welsh Government from Bangor University and Forest Research.Beauchamp, K., Jenkins, T.A.R., Bell, C., Alison, J., Bathgate, S., Braban, C., Broome, A., Bursnell, M., Burton, V. , Dickie, I., Doick, K.J., Evans, C.D., Fitch, A., Griffiths, R. , Hall, C. , Healey, J.R., Jones, L., Keith, A.M. , Kerr, G., Kuyer, J., Maskell, L., Matthews, R.W., Morison, J. , Nicoll, B. , Nisbet, T. , O'Brien, L., Old, G.H., Pagella, T., Perks, M.P, Robinson, D.A., Saraev, V., Smart, S.M., Smith, A.R., Siriwardena, G.M., Swetnam, R. , Thomas, A.R.C., Tye, A., Valatin, G., Warren-Thomas, E.M., Wong, J. & Emmett, B.A. (2020). Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP): ERAMMP Report 32: National Forest in Wales - Evidence Review. Report to Welsh Government (Contract C210/2016/2017). UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Project 06297. https://erammp.wales/en/r-forest-evidence

Beneficiaries and reach of impact

Immediate beneficiaries: policy makers concerned with forestry in UK governments (especially Wales), ultimately wider society benefiting from success with achievement of climate change mitigation targets through woodland creation. Primarily UK

General Notes

There are many other SENS research outputs and researchers (e.g. Andy Smith, Bid Webb and Hilay Ford, Norman Dandy, Sophie Wynne-Jones) that could potentially be rolled into this impact case depending how it pans out.

There has been a lot of impact-relevant activity during 2023 and 2024, including Pagella and Healey's presentations at the Royal Welsh Show and close engagement with Confor and other industry/sector bodies.

Healey's membership of Defra and Welsh Government Trees and Woodlands and Forestry advisory groups, and the Board of Woodknowledge Wales provides important new pathways to impact.

Impact status	Potential
Category of impact	Environmental, Economic, Policy and Public Services
Impact level	Engagement