Agroforestry Pollinator Plantations

Climate change presents specific challenges for all plants and soil:

\*Higher overall average temperatures

\*Increased wind speeds during storms

\*Seasonal shifts in rainfall resulting in wetter winters and drier summers

\*Increasing drought severity and frequency

\*New pest and disease migration and emergence/colonisation.

Currently there is a dearth of guidance on planting trees for the future, and shortages of planting stock. These are particular problems for pollinator tree/shrub species in agroforestry. Understanding climate change interactions and amalgamating this knowledge with how climate stress will affect novel tree species will enable us to answer some crucial questions:

1\. Using three projected average temperatures categorised as 'best case', 'mid case' and 'worst case' scenarios with inherent associated effects, we will identify which tree and shrub species beneficial to pollinators, already growing in the UK, will still be suitable in the UK into the future for the categories.

2\. Many native tree and shrub species currently relied on by pollinators may be lost.

We will identify novel species (assessed as non-harmful to biodiversity) able to

sustain pollinators, possess pest and disease-resistance, and provide

agroforestry products such as medicine, phytochemicals, food, oils, integrated pest management.

Our solution is to provide guidance on successful tree planting: 'Agroforestry Pollinator Plantations' (APP's) grown for agroforestry in mixed stands will provide forage and support for pollinators under climate change, whilst also benefiting agricultural land and adjacent crops. Agroforestry pumps atmospheric carbon deep underground and protects farmland from extreme events.

Our knowledge-research proposal and outcomes from this research into tree species' performance will:

A: Provide authoritative guidance for nurseries on the 'right' tree and shrub species with diverse gene-pools with evolutionary potential to survive climate change and diseases for future agroforestry;

B: Enable nurseries and agroforestry consultants to provide in-depth advice and design of APPs configured to mitigate the challenges summarised above, mutually

beneficial to crops, livestock and top-soils adjacent to plantations.

We are delighted to partner Forest Research and the Soil Association for top-level research and advice to be disseminated freely via a new website, providing reliable guidance for growing future-proof, pollinator-supporting species for agroforestry. We will begin large-scale propagation of appropriate trees and shrubs.

With some of the problems caused by climate change addressed through sustainable agroforestry, we believe understanding which species may survive climate change will protect multiple ecosystem services, and is key to protecting pollinators, which in turn will sustain all plant species pollinated by insects.