The Living With
Environmental Change (LWEC) Partnership will shortly be announcing on its
website (www.lwec.org.uk) a new initiative to fund research
into tree pests and pathogens, and associated plant biosecurity.
At least £6.5M
will be available for research projects. Trees make a huge impact on our rural
and urban landscapes and contribute to a vital part of our heritage, rural
economy and well-being. In the last few years, several new pests and pathogens
have emerged as significant risks to the UK’s woodlands, commercial forests and
urban trees. The outbreak of ash dieback at the end of 2012 illustrates how
rapidly new diseases can take hold, and the scale of the threat they can pose to
trees. This new initiative will require collaboration between specialists in
tree or forest research, and leading-edge scientists from the wider natural,
biological, social, economic or other relevant research communities who have
other, broader expertise that could help to advance our knowledge about tree
health and disease.
There will be a Town
Meeting in London on 14 February where LWEC will be providing more
information. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for researchers who
do not currently work on tree health but who have expertise which may be
relevant to this area to meet potential collaborative partners, and learn more
about current research in this area.
The Town Meeting is free of charge to
attend but please email tree.health@bbsrc.ac.uk to reserve a
place.
