University of St Andrews

Professor Rob Wilson‘s research proposal asks “With climate scenarios suggesting that the Scottish climate will become both warmer and wetter, how might this affect the current stock of oak woodlands and their distribution?”

This project by the University of St. Andrews will combine data from the physical and chemical analysis of oak tree rings from a network of Scottish woodlands to track tree growth and carbon cycling through time. The relationship of the trees to records of temperature and precipitation in the summer growing season will help to explore the extent to which tree productivity and response are changing as climate changes. This knowledge will help inform forest managers and conservationists as to the likely risks and challenges facing Scottish oak woodlands. It should also help to assess their resilience in the next 50-100 years as our climate changes.

Outcomes

The development of the Scottish Oak network has progressed and they now have data from 11 new locations from Rannoch to Dumfries & Galloway. Latitude and elevation will be important factors, in understanding the climatic controls on growth.