Context

Restoring lost tree species to the treescape can generate positive psychological and cultural gains. It can support ecological goals and the benefits to humans of a restored ecosystem. However, pathways for tree restoration must be feasible socially and economically as well as technologically. The process of breeding for plant disease resistance may incur other changes and a restored species may differ in habitat, provision, visual form or economic value. Resilient treescape planting could include genetically modified or edited plants or a change in the species assemblages. Consequently, certain practices may not be viewed as acceptable by society. The views of a variety of land managers are particularly important for the creation and planting of resistant treescapes, as these are the people who will decide whether or not to plant disease-resistant trees.

Research aims and objectives

• Explore the collective memory of elm and ash in the British landscape and assess how values, cultural heritage and place attachment are, or would be, impacted by their loss.
• Map awareness of, and attitudes to different restoration approaches and social/economic/ecological factors influencing risk perceptions and acceptability of methods in different contexts.
• Understand land manager perspectives on restoring ‘lost/losing/will lose’ species .
• Contribute to policy and land manager decision-making on restoration choices for now and in the future in the context of forest and woodland creation and expansion.

Project description

• Acceptability – Which species restoration methods are preferred? Is planting of resistant trees more acceptable in some treescapes than others? What attributes do resistant elms/ash need to have? What are the barriers to the deployment of different restoration methods in different contexts? What are the risks and benefits of different approaches?
• Values, attitudes and experiences – How are treescapes and the species within them valued by stakeholders and wider society? What are stakeholder expectations in terms of restoration success?
• Decision-making – How has decision-making about tree species and treescapes changed over time? Where do tree species like elm belong? What form of awareness-raising and engagement is required to enable informed decision-making involving dialogue with stakeholders?

Outputs