NEC05558 PuRpOsE: PRotecting Oak Ecosystems: understanding and forecasting causes and consequences, management for future climates
Lead Research Organisation:
NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019)
Department Name: Biodiversity (Wallingford)
Abstract
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Technical Summary
In the UK, Quercus robur and Q. petraea are under threat from new diseases including Acute Oak Decline (AOD). The PuRpOsE (PRotect Oak Ecosystems) project will improve knowledge and understanding of interactions between pests and diseases, environments and humans related to the health threats to native oaks now and going forward through projected climate futures. We will identify the wider impacts of oak decline on biodiversity, ecosystem function and services, and interactions between institutional stakeholders, to identify policy and practice that will reduce or mitigate these impacts. We will deploy state of the art methodology to identify biotic and abiotic factors that affect tree susceptibility and disease development and determine phenotypic changes brought on by AOD infections. Horizon scanning using expert opinion and novel climate matching tools will identify potential future oak pests/pathogens. We will screen current and new oak silvicultural systems and use existing trials of climate matched provenances and species diversity plots. Together with key stakeholders, we will use the assimilated project knowledge to investigate adaptive management pathways to prevent/slow down oak pest and pathogen impacts. Applying theoretical and methodological innovations in the social sciences relating to tree health issues and complex stakeholder interactions, we will consider how disease 'stories' emerge and how the enthusiasm of actors involved in AOD can help develop collaborative strategies for managing and living with AOD. Working with stakeholders throughout the project we will enable:
1. Policy makers in charge of natural resource planning to understand the risk of oak decline and provide them with evidence-based knowledge to change policies appropriately
2. Managers to feel confident in preparing for change and to start managing their woodlands appropriately
3. Stakeholders to be less averse to the changes required to mitigate the impacts of oak decline.
1. Policy makers in charge of natural resource planning to understand the risk of oak decline and provide them with evidence-based knowledge to change policies appropriately
2. Managers to feel confident in preparing for change and to start managing their woodlands appropriately
3. Stakeholders to be less averse to the changes required to mitigate the impacts of oak decline.
Planned Impact
Impact SummaryImpact Summary: The impact we aim to generate will stem from our interdisciplinary research including state-of-the-art microbiome and metabolomic studies coupled with applied and practical forest ecology and social science work to establish human approaches to recognising and managing oak disease. Specifically, we will seek to: 1) influence decision-makers in forest policy and practice (e.g. Scottish Natural Heritage, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission England and Scotland, Environment Agency, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, National Trust, Fera, Defra, Confederation of Forest Industries, Institute of Chartered Foresters, City Councils, nursery trade and community woodland groups) to improve their understanding of oak related pests and diseases and the threats posed to the wider ecosystem; 2) provide policymakers in charge of natural resource planning with the evidence to change policies appropriately; 3) instil confidence in forest managers to implement the management required to maintain oak ecosystem health; 4) prepare stakeholders for a potential loss, or major decline of oak. We can only do this by understanding if trees are experiencing stress that makes them more susceptible to disease (WP1 & 2) with knock on effects to ecosystem services (WP3) to use these data to develop indicators of threat (WP1) and in combination with tree surveys to develop a risk map (WP2) for future management purposes. Underpinning the project is WP4, which addresses the need to effectively understand the different human approaches to understanding how pests and diseases spread and how different scientific approaches might drive different management policies. Throughout the project's implementation we will deliberatively engage with key stakeholders in a co-learning process, specifically working together with individuals from our case study sites dispersed across the UK, as well as with local, regional and national organisations, for example through our Project Advisory Group.
Organisations
- NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019) (Lead Research Organisation)
- Forestry Commission Scotland (Co-funder)
- Economic and Social Research Council (Co-funder)
- Scottish Government (Co-funder)
- Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Co-funder)
- Natural Environment Research Council (Co-funder)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- Woodland Trust (Collaboration)
- James Hutton Institute (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF READING (Collaboration)
- Forestry Commission (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF YORK (Collaboration)
Publications
Roy H
(2016)
Alien Pathogens on the Horizon: Opportunities for Predicting their Threat to Wildlife
in Conservation Letters
Field E
(2019)
Individual tree traits shape insect and disease damage on oak in a climate-matching tree diversity experiment.
in Ecology and evolution
Field E
(2020)
Associational resistance to both insect and pathogen damage in mixed forests is modulated by tree neighbour identity and drought
in Journal of Ecology
Barsoum N
(2021)
Root ectomycorrhizal status of oak trees symptomatic and asymptomatic for Acute Oak Decline in southern Britain
in Forest Ecology and Management
Description | Workpackage 1 was a detailed study of the soil environment of 60 trees half with and half without oak bleeding canker related to Acute Oak Decline (AOD) at three locations. We found differences between in gleying horizons and soil chemistry under symptomatic and asymptomatic trees that suggest water-logging or extended anaerobic conditions under symptomatic trees that might have contributed to the development of symptoms. The difference in soils was reflected in the soil chemistry, and microbial community structures. Soil morphology and micro-topography measures shows no differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic trees within sites, so that we conclude previous impairment to the trees means symptomatic trees are less able to remove accumulating moisture. Differences in soil moisture are also reflected in the exploration types of ectomycorrhizal communities associated with the trees. However, it is known that waterlogging is detrimental to trees, which suggest the possibility of negative feedback loops with pre-disposing factors. The extend of the contrast was context dependent and differed between sites. Workpackage 2 and specifically 2.1 was the study of Italian, French and local provenances of Quercus robur for their susceptibility to oak powdery mildew (OPM) and attacks by different guilds of herbivore. Provenances were also planted at different levels of diversity as provenance and species mixes. While there were few differences between French and Local provenance the Italian Provenances seem to have higher incidents of OPM infections, while suffering less from herbivore attack or in reverse support fewer native herbivores. Further differences relate to growth form, e.g. height, shoot length, leaf chemical composition, which varied within and between species. |
Exploitation Route | Presentations at workshops and conferences. Presentations to the advisory panel of stakeholders. We had a final "impact event" including the minister for biosecurity and various stakeholder groups. A submission to a BBSRC SPF on bacterial disease in plants might give further opportunities to publicise outcomes. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
Description | Twice a year we update members of the advisory group to the project at Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission in England Scotland and Wales. We also participated in a stakeholder workshop (forest managers) organised by our Forestry Research project partner. In the workshop we worked through scenarios of climate change and emerging diseases to gauge the groups responses in adjusting forest management plans. In February 2019 we organised an "impact event" at the Royal Geographical society, London with representative of all stakeholder groups including the minister for biosecurity and his team. At the moment we have statements from stakeholders how useful information provided is to them, yet implementation, e.g. in the context of improved provenances or biodiversity, remains to be seen. |
First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | Stakeholder meeting on Oak Health |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | DTP Scenario Reading |
Amount | £11,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2015 |
End | 03/2019 |
Description | Elsa Field PhD project Oxford DTP |
Amount | £3,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Oxford Environmental Research DTP |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2016 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative |
Amount | £269,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/L012243/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2014 |
End | 03/2017 |
Title | Tree trait, insect herbivore abundance and powdery mildew infection data (2016-17) from Forest Research Climate Matching Trials, UK |
Description | This data set comprises two years of data (2016 and 2017) from one trial (Hucking, Kent, UK) and one year (2017) from a second trial (Hartshorne, Derbyshire, UK). Data was collected on tree traits (tree height, shoot length, tree provenance), abundance of foliar insect herbivores (gallers, leaf manipulators and leaf miners) and leaf damage by oak powdery mildew, a foliar fungal pathogen. Data was collected from plots differing in tree diversity (provenance and species diversity). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Description | Forestry Research |
Organisation | Forestry Commission |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We contribute studies of tree microbiomes on two project of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative |
Collaborator Contribution | FR contributes to the project in areas of risk modelling and horizon scanning |
Impact | Pipits paper in Methods in Ecology & Evolution (see under publications) |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | James Hutton |
Organisation | James Hutton Institute |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We collaborate in two projects under the Tree Health and Biosecurity Initiative. We contribute the study of tree microbiomes |
Collaborator Contribution | JH contributes studies on Lappettmoth in ProTree and the ecological role oak oaks in the ecosystems in PuRpOsE |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Oxford University |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Department of Zoology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Zoology department: We work in areas of chemical & behavioural ecology. Botany department: here I collaborate on issues related to tree health |
Collaborator Contribution | The Zoology department in Oxford, specifically Prof emeritus J Thomas, works in conservation ecology and we still publish on past collaboration. In Botany I work with Andrew Hector and Elsa Field (PhD student) studying climate matching plantations of oak. |
Impact | A range of publications incl. a policy paper at EU level, presentation, and collaborations with other EU partners |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Reading University |
Organisation | University of Reading |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I'm a research Fellow at Reading University and collaborate with the department of Life Science and Geography in a project within the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners work as soil specialists, plant pathologists and in social sciences |
Impact | not yet - it's multidisciplinary |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Woodland Trust |
Organisation | Woodland Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We develop a partnership with the WT and suggested them as a project board partner |
Collaborator Contribution | The Woodland Trust is part of the PuRpOsE advisory board and has co-funded PhD proposals |
Impact | not yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | York University |
Organisation | University of York |
Department | Centre for Health Economics (CHE) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Alison Dyke is part of the team organising WP4 (social sciences) in the project PuRpOsE. Me and my team attended a workshop organised by them to explore the narrative of oak health. |
Collaborator Contribution | Alison Dyke is part of the team organising WP4 (social sciences) in the project PuRpOsE. |
Impact | The event was filmed and will be released shortly through the PuRpOsE website |
Start Year | 2016 |