Panel session: Changing your woodland business for climate change
Susan Davis – Edinburgh University, Ex risk management
Its was great to hear from someone with as different a back ground as risk management speaking at this forestry seminar. Susan was able to point out that the frequency of claims for windblow events in forestry have already been rising. Making a very clear connection at least in my head, that climate change is going to have tangible effects on forest owners back pockets. How can we avoid this? Well I think we all know it’s a bit late for that. Much like the analogy of the frog that if thrown into a pot of boiling water will jump out, but if put in water and slowly brought to the boil it will sit there and burn. (no frogs were harmed in the writing of this blog).
James Hepburn Scott – Forest Carbon
James later hit the nail on the head with what I think has got to be the biggest obstacle facing a woodland business, the lack of sustained political leadership. This got the cheers from the crowd it rightly deserved. He also suggested an interesting slant on the current planting system- a presumption in favour of planting. A take that will no doubt have many people up in arms, but I think could also be the an incredibly useful tool in unlocking increased planting. The need for a MacKinnon report in England was also met with a very positive affirmation from the crowd. I might know of a willing volunteer if they wanted to keep the title the same.
Alice Snowdon – Cheviot trees
Alice had some important messages about nursery stock and where we should be sourcing our new planting seedlings from. She highlighted the importance of organisations like Future Trees Trust and the good work they do to further the genetics of the specimens we plant. Alice made the point that both provenance and origin should be considered when choosing trees for planting. As a simple and general rule, it makes sense to be choosing a provenance and thus genetics that are from a slightly more southern latitude to take account for the drier conditions we are expecting.
John Weir – Forestry Commission
John clearly has first-hand experience of large-scale planting and is very honest with himself to look back and critique the methods of the past. Experience such as his is invaluable moving forward to be sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. John is right to step out of this very traditional industry and consider the current rhetoric that the like of Greta Thunberg is shouting about – we mustn’t live in an echo chamber.
Bryan Elliot – Eucalyptus renewables
Bryan made some important points about ensuring very basic silviculture is used to maintain any new planting. All efforts would be pointless if newly planted trees weren’t grown through to maturity. His experience with Eucalypts raised a controversial but important question about the species we should be using. An argument focused entirely on carbon sequestration might well conclude fast growing Eucalypts are the right choice, while others placing biodiversity higher up the agenda could consider them a catastrophe. What’s more important?
Questions
In the questions to the panel was an important point regarding CCF. If we are looking for Environmental benefits CCF can offer some great advantages over clear-felling but what are the implications on carbon flux and store?
The resounding message through all the speakers was the clear need for action, education, collaboration and streamlining of the system to speed planting applications through.
