Category Archives: Forests
Government set to sell off Britain’s forests
Up to 150,000 hectares of state-owned forests and land could be sold to private investors, under a new government strategy to raise funds towards decreasing the Budget deficit. The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman is expected to announce details of the … Continue reading
Trees and Forests in British Society: Conference, Edinburgh, 13-15 April 2010
The story of forestry in Britain is unique. Our forests provide us with a range of benefits reflecting the changing needs and demands of society. Today, trees, woods and forests are expected to contribute to improving health, building resilient communities, … Continue reading
Almost half of the world’s primate species face extinction
A report being launched today at Bristol Zoo shows that 48% of the world’s 634 primate species, which includes apes, monkeys and lemurs, are threatened with extinction. The report, which was compiled by 85 primatologists, highlights the top 25 most … Continue reading
UK Forests and Climate Change
The BES Policy Team yesterday attended the launch of the National Assessment of UK Forestry and Climate Change report, an exercise established by the Forestry Commission and conducted by a team of experts, led by Professor Sir David Read, Biological … Continue reading
British Woodlands More Homogenous than in Past
British woodlands are more similar to one another today than 70-years ago, report researchers today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. A team of scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, led by Sally Keith at the … Continue reading
Government Backs Battle Agaisnt Plant Diseases
The government has pledged £25 million to help eradicate the plant diseases Phytophthora kernoviae and Phytophthora ramorum, which are spreading across the UK. Phytophthora kernoviae and Phytophthora ramorum are fungus-like pathogens which cause potentially lethal infections in oak and beech … Continue reading
Patagonian Fungus Diesel: An Alternative Biofuel?
Scientists have recently discovered that a tree fungus Gliocladium roseum, produces compounds of long-chain hydrocarbons very similar in structure to commercial diesel. The lead scientist of the research, Gary Strobel, from Montana State University said: “This is the only organism … Continue reading
REDD – Tackling Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
Climate change remains a present and future threat to biodiversity. REDD, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, aims to curb climate change by conserving the world’s remaining forests. REDD aim to ensure that measures to tackle climate change include accounting … Continue reading
Translating Science to Policy Effectively: Looking to the Amazon
A high citation index is an interpretation of the effectiveness of science communication between scientists, not to mention the importance and relevance of the research, within that particular field. But is a highly cited paper an indication of effective communication … Continue reading
Continuing Global Oil Demand Driving Biodiversity Loss in Western Amazonia
As existing oil supply reaches its peak and begins to dwindle, rather than investing in clean alternatives, oil companies are seeking to continue profiteering from remaining stocks that are locked up in remote, sensitive and fragile biomes such as the … Continue reading