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Project summary
- The expansion of woodlands and treescapes presents a potential solution to the climate and nature crises, and forms a core part of the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy.
- But decision makers need to know how the form, location & configuration of treescape expansion influences social and environmental costs and benefits.
- National policies and targets rarely map neatly onto actions at lower spatial scales (e.g. farms and landscapes).
- Top-down approaches to treescape expansion risk alienating local actors…
- …whilst bottom-up approaches may fall short of ambition needed to address global challenges.
- STAND will address this ‘scale mismatch’ which, we argue, creates a barrier to effective treescape expansion.
- We will combine national- and landscape-scale modelling with Participatory Scenario Planning to understand how future treescape expansion can be designed and governed to achieve the best outcomes for people and nature.
Case study landscapes
Our case study landscapes exemplify the challenges and opportunities of treescape expansion. Elenydd-Mallaen in mid-Wales overlaps the Special Protection Area (SPA) of the same name, whilst the North Pennines & Dales in northern England occupies the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and most of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Graphical overview of STAND’s research questions
