E3 R&D have received funding previously, for a long-term high pruning and monitoring project on a 70 acre site, transforming the plantation woodland into a more biodiverse site. A large part of E3 R&D’s work is to monitor the effects of their changes on biodiversity, particularly bats.

For this project E3 R&D will be looking at radical pruning and thinning of the woodland edges, to merge the plantation into adjacent broadleaved planting. Plantation edges are typically densely vegetated and species poor. Where high pruning work has been undertaken close to these edges it has become evident that there is potential to create much higher value marginal habitats at the boundaries of plantation woodlands by reducing the dense boundary screen formed by the outer row of Sitka.

The research element will:

• assess how crown raising and thinning by ring barking can create conditions at the woodland edge suitable for establishment of native species through direct seeding and natural regeneration.
• design pruning techniques to open up the conifer edge without significantly increasing windthrow risk, integrating the conifer and native planting areas into a single woodland community.
• assess techniques for adding fast growing willow, birch and alder where broadleaved trees are absent from the boundaries of the plantation.
• assess whether a combination of conifer pruning/thinning and adding broadleaved trees can reduce windthrow risk and improve soils

They hope that the approach will encourage more native planting in commercial woodlands.

Opportunities for joint research with Universities are welcomed. Please contact Dr Tony Martin  directly – [email protected]