Defra, Forest Research, Scottish Forestry, and the Welsh Government launched the Climate Change Hub on Monday to centralize the most recent resources, information, and guidance on climate change adaptation to assist landowners, woodland managers, and forestry practitioners in addressing climate change threats.
The projected rate of climate change is unprecedented, resulting in hotter summers and more frequent occurrences of extreme weather conditions like prolonged droughts and heavy rainfall. To increase the resilience of forests and woodlands and to safeguard the advantages they offer, such as carbon sequestration, immediate action is required.
The Climate Change Hub, run by Forest Research, collects and disseminates the most recent knowledge and UKFS (United Kingdom Forestry Standard) guidance on climate change adaptation to encourage forest and woodland owners and managers to adopt adaptive practices. It offers succinct details about the risks associated with climate change, instructions for choosing appropriate adaptation measures, and illustrations of how other managers are putting adaptive practices into practice.
There is no single recommended approach to climate change adaptation, as each woodland has different objectives and conditions. To enable managers to make informed decisions for their own woodlands, the Climate Change Hub also includes detailed guidance through the decision-making process, step-by-step, including information about the online tools available to support risk management and species choice.
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Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Trees and tree management are crucial parts of our plan to reach Net Zero by 2050, and resources such as the Climate Change Hub support the forest industry to make better, more informed, and ultimately more sustainable decisions when it comes to tree planting and woodland management.”
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said: “Climate change will affect our trees, wood and forests. We need to ensure that our management practices ensure they thrive for the long term to ensure all the benefits they provide are maximized. Trees are a critical part of our endeavors to tackle climate change; trees are the most efficient and cost-effective method of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Climate Change Hub will allow all of us to see this critical information in one place for the first time, enabling land managers and foresters to make the best decisions for our planet on tree and forest management.”
Scottish Forestry’s Chief Executive Dave Signorini said: “I’m excited to launch the new Climate Change Hub – a one-stop shop for resources on protecting woodland and forests from the risks of climate change. Trees have a significant role in climate change adaptation and resilience, providing habitats for wildlife, reducing flooding, and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and we want to help people understand how best to achieve that.
“The new Climate Change Hub will help empower the forestry sector here in Scotland to sustainably manage woodland and forests to deliver benefits for our environment, economy and communities.”
Wales’ Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, said: “This project will provide up-to-date research and guidance that will help the forestry sector and woodland planners plant and manage a woodland in a flexible way.
“It’s another key project that will help us in Wales meet our Net Zero commitments and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.”
Story adapted from UK.GOV
