The effects of climate change on the UK’s forestry industry will be the subject of a one-day event organised by Cumbria Woodlands and the Forestry Commission at the Newton Rigg Campus of the University of Central Lancashire on June 21.
The event follows January’s storms which saw half a million trees fall in County Durham, North Yorkshire, Scotland and Cumbria in just 10 minutes.
Cumbria Woodlands director Edward Mills said that climate change was beginning to impact on weather systems and it may no longer be appropriate to plant tree species commonly found in the region’s woodlands. He added: “Woodland designs and planting techniques will have to change dramatically to help our region’s tree stocks flourish.”
The June event will include presentations about the health and safety implications of windblow, software planning tools to reduce its potential and a demonstration about what can be gained from blown trees through deadwood management.
An update on a new regional forestry framework for England’s north-west and a talk about the expected effects of climate change on the nation’s woodlands will also take place.
The free event will run alongside the Forestry Commission’s two-day practical chainsaw course to deal with singletree windblow.
