Outcome NR3
More trees in the landscape, consisting of well-managed woodland, wood pasture and low-density scrub, in the right places
Key research interests include, but are not limited to:
- Deer numbers and distribution and how that relates to damage to existing woodlands, suppression of natural colonisation and new planting.
- Red squirrel and grey squirrel distribution and how that might be affected by pursuing this priority outcome.
- Locations of veteran and ancient trees, including through remote sensing, and analysis of their associated invertebrate communities.
- Effects on water temperature, invertebrate assemblages, and fish, of riparian shade in different sections of upland catchments (see also Outcome NR4).
- Techniques for establishing woody species without plastic guards at a variety of altitudes and in a variety of locations.
- Best practice management of grazing in developing wood pasture.
- Current distribution of rarer willow species and landscape suitability for reintroduction.
- Adapting scrub and woodland creation for future climate scenarios.
- Tree pathogens which present future risk to the wooded habitats of the North Pennines and how to mitigate.
- Effects of shelter belts and hedgerows on upland livestock farms.
- Weighing the benefits and costs of large-scale wooded landscape development against retention of open ground as wader habitat (see also Outcome NR2).