Christopher P Quine

Forest Research

There has been a recent (< 20 years) increase in the recurrence of windstorm disturbances in European forests, likely due to accelerating anthropogenic climate change. Across Europe, there remains a paucity of studies documenting storm damage to trees at a local scale. In the aftermath of two successive 2021 UK winter storms, named Arwen and Barra,...

Wind is an important disturbance agent in many natural forests and a major cause of destructive damage in managed forests around the world. The interaction of the wind with trees and the processes leading to tree breakage and uprooting are complex and depend on many factors. Furthermore, these processes operate at a range of temporal scales from se...

European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) is a highly valued native species in the UK and elsewhere. The rapid spread and predicted impact of ash dieback (caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), has led researchers to explore a range of responses from introducing non-native ash to use of Genetic Modification (GM) technologies to develop disease resistance....

This paper seeks to address the need for a more nuanced understanding of public perceptions of risk-related events by investigating the nature of and drivers for a ‘concerned public’ to an environmental issue, using the case study of the ash dieback outbreak in the UK. Q Methodology, an approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative data...

Societal Impact Statement The current ash dieback epidemic in Europe caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus poses a key question to policy makers: whether or not to commit time and resources to the initiation of a breeding programme for the development of more resistant ash, as a long‐term policy of adaptation to the epidemic. Here we review current evi...

Key message To inform emerging initiatives, we explored five programmes that aimed to develop trees resistant to specific pests or pathogens. These case studies show resistant tree programmes are a medium to long-term approach requiring sustained investment, and can encounter substantial difficulties in developing and maintaining resistance. Equall...

First habitat suitability model for all protected woodland species within a country. Predicts potential species occurrence to aid strategic to tactical decision-making. Provides often inaccessible expert knowledge to end user in a user-friendly format. Integrates information on habitat requirements for multiple taxa. Niche classification links to s...

We have conducted one of the first attempts to integrate empirical biodiversity data with economic modelling of optimum rotation length for forest stands. We sought relationships between different taxonomic groups and stand age for a range of forest types based upon UK biodiversity assessment data. We then examined the impact of these relationships...

It is widely acknowledged within the risk literature that the mass media play a pivotal role in shaping information about risk events for audiences. While some risk events reflect occurrences specific to particular times and locations, other risk events are more difficult to temporally and spatially situate as they are dispersed across years or mon...

‘Public concern’, a ubiquitous notion used in descriptive and explanatory modes by policy makers, academics and the media, is often presented as axiomatic. However, the variability with which it is deployed in different contexts, for example, as justification for policy attention or having equivalence with what is considered ‘newsworthy’, belies th...

Public concern is a pivotal notion in the risk perception, communication and management literature. It is, for example, a central concept with regard to the social amplification of risk, and as a justification for policy attention. Despite its ubiquity, the notion of public concern remains a ‘black box’ presenting a poorly understood state of affai...

The risks posed by tree pests and diseases have been widely recognised in expert circles, but the degree to which this awareness is shared by publics and stakeholders is still unclear. There is a potential conflict between government attempts to manage the risks, media coverage and the ways in which publics and stakeholders make sense of the threat...

Improving resilience in forests relies on an understanding of the values, knowledge and practices associated with forests. In this paper, based on a case study from the UK, we present qualitative data on how the concept of resilience is understood by decision-makers, the effectiveness of existing policy tools to promote resilient forests and the cu...

Pests and pathogens are an increasing threat to trees and forests, and the associated biodiversity and ecosystem services. Producing trees that are resistant to such threats is frequently emphasized by policymakers across Europe and North America. However, there are several approaches for developing and deploying resistant trees, and the process ca...

Accurate wildlife population density estimates are important for conservation purposes, but can be difficult to obtain where species are elusive or rare. We use individual genotypes derived from hair samples and Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) models to estimate the population density of European pine marten (Martes martes) and examine...

The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) is often used as a conceptual tool for studying diverse risk perceptions associated with environmental hazards. While widely applied, it has been criticised for implying that it is possible to define a benchmark 'real' risk that is determined by experts and around which public risk perceptions can s...

The growing incidence of invasive tree pest and disease outbreaks is recognised as an increasing threat to ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Linked to global trade, human movement and climate change, a number of outbreaks have attracted high public and media attention. However, there is surprisingly little evidence characterising the nature o...

National and international efforts to manage forest biosecurity create tension between opposing sources of ecological and economic irreversibility. Phytosanitary policies designed to protect national borders from biological invasions incur sunk costs deriving from economic and political irreversibilities that incentivizes wait-and-see decision-maki...

The overarching aim of this study was to examine links between biodiversity and rotation length with a view to exploring how biodiversity could be incorporated into an optimal rotation length model. This is part of a wider agenda of accounting for the multiple benefits provided by woodlands in decision-making frameworks for sustainable forest manag...

Diversification of the tree species composition of production forests is a frequently advocated strategy to increase resilience to pests and pathogens; however, there is a lack of a general framework to analyse the impact of economic and biological conditions on the optimal planting strategy in the presence of tree disease. To meet this need we use...

Forest Managers in the UK and elsewhere are facing new threats such as climate change and novel pests and diseases. Strategies seek to coordinate and steer appropriate responses through raising awareness and encouraging action but little is known about how individual managers respond to disease threats. We studied how managers have responded to the...

Invasive pests and diseases in trees impose a range of costs on society related to reductions in timber values, impacts on recreational opportunities and effects on forest biodiversity. These costs need to be considered when assessing control options and developing public policy. We investigate the preferences and willingness to pay of the UK gener...

It has long been recognised that the traditional media play a key role in representing risk and are a significant source of information which can shape how people perceive and respond to hazard events. Early work utilising the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) sought to understand the discrepancy between expert and lay perceptions of ri...

Non-invasive genetic sampling using materials such as faeces or hair can be used to monitor wildlife populations, although DNA quality is often poor. Improving sampling efficiency and minimising factors that reduce DNA quality are therefore critical. After a severe decline, the European pine marten, Martes martes, has reclaimed much of its former r...

Assumptions about public stakeholder attitudes to pest and disease management can influence the decisions of forest managers and NGOs involved in responding to pests and diseases; however, they are rarely assessed directly. Evidence on the social acceptability of tree health management methods is required to inform government led policy and managem...

Biodiversity and rotation length: economic models and ecological evidence This Research Note presents the findings of a study which examined how biodiversity changes with stand age, with a view to incorporating it into optimal forest rotation length modelling. The study reviewed relevant literature and analysed Forestry Commission Biodiversity Asse...

Human population growth has led to increased contact between people and wildlife, with adverse impacts for both, such as damage to economic crops and wildlife persecution. Diversionary feeding, where food is used to draw animals away from problem activities or locations, is sometimes proposed as a socially acceptable conservation action, but little...

Resilience is rapidly becoming a prominent concept in research, policy and practice. However, it is apparent that there is no consistent meaning of resilience being used by those involved in governing and managing forests and tree health. We aimed to (1) identify how the concept of resilience is defined in a range of decision-making contexts, (2) d...

This book brings together information about Europe's forests and how they have developed since the last Ice Age. The first part (Chapters 1-4) gives an overview of Europe's woods and forests in space and over time; the second part (Chapters 5-9) looks at how they have been managed; the third part (Chapters 10-15) deals with how plants and animals h...

In Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forests the composition of the ground flora can be affected by the amount of light reaching the forest floor, influencing the balance between the three common ericaceous shrubs bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), cowberry (Vacciniumvitis-idaea) and heather (Calluna vulgaris). A pinewood ground flora with more than 20% b...

A better, more effective dialogue is needed between biodiversity science and policy to underpin the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. Many initiatives exist to improve communication, but these largely conform to a ‘linear’ or technocratic model of communication in which scientific “facts” are transmitted directly to policy advisers...

People and wildlife interact in many ways and recently there has been increased recognition that forests have multiple uses and management objectives providing opportunities for recreation, education, conservation and enhancement of biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and the production of timber and fuel. Whilst many benefits can perhaps be delive...

Edge effects of native forest fragmentation have been well studied, but there are few studies of open‐ground habitats fragmented by plantation forests. We measure forestry edge effects on open‐ground breeding birds, following one of Europe's biggest and most controversial land‐use transformations. The ‘Flow Country’ of northern Scotland is one of t...

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has stimulated much interest in the linkages between the state of ecosystems and human well-being, and resulted in a number of international and national initiatives. For example, the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UKNEA) is being widely discussed in research and land use policy communities, and has already in...

Wildlife management methods such as culling (lethal control) and fencing can be controversial in some circumstances. Such controversy can be problematic for decision-makers or those managing decision-making processes and can lead to management delays or inertia. Understanding the reasons why people support or oppose specific management methods is t...

Knowledge of a carnivore's foraging behaviour is central to understanding its ecology. Scat-content analysis provides a non-invasive way to collect such information but its validity depends on attributing scats to the correct species, which can prove problematic where similarly sized species occur sympatrically. Here we provide the first descriptio...

The intervening landscape between patches of forest (i.e., matrix) has enormous potential to mitigate the negative effects of forest fragmentation. However, to release this potential requires understanding of how individual species perceive matrix. Here we investigated use of matrix by pine martens (Martes martes) in a region with low forest cover...

Research shows that people value woodlands for relaxation and as a place to have contact with nature. Yet woodlands can also involve exposure to a variety of risks. In this study the way in which people consider issues of risk in environments generally associated with a range of positive values was explored with visitors to a woodland in South East...

With more people working or recreating in the countryside, there is a need for land-based organisations to manage potential risks. We explore the role of risk communication as a tool for preventing staff or the wider publics contracting Lyme disease. Through interviews with representatives of land-based organisations and content analysis of informa...

Wildlife management remains a matter of considerable controversy amongst many stakeholders, particularly where lethal control (culling) is used. Wild deer provide perhaps one of the best examples of such a management ‘problem’, especially where they are encountered in peri-urban environments. Faced with potential controversy, decision-makers in pub...

Management of zoonotic disease is necessary if countryside users are to gain benefit rather than suffer harm from their activities, and to avoid disproportionate reaction to novel threats. We introduce a conceptual framework based on the pressure-state-response model with five broad responses to disease incidence. Influencing public behaviour is on...

The need to combat woodland loss and fragmentation are key objectives for forestry and biodiversity conservation strategies in the UK. Conservation action has often been centred on the protection and management of individual sites with limited, often ad hoc, action within the surrounding landscape. However, woodland biodiversity conservation effort...

Conflicts between the conservation of biodiversity and other human activities occur in all habitats and can impact severely upon socio-economic and biological parameters. In a changing environment, with increasing pressure on ecosystem goods and services and increasing urgency for biodiversity conservation, these conflicts are likely to increase in...

The focus of biodiversity conservation is shifting to larger spatial scales in response to habitat fragmentation and the need to integrate multiple landscape objectives. Conservation strategies increasingly incorporate measures to combat fragmentation such as ecological networks. These are often based on assessment of landscape structure but such a...

Novel or emergent ecosystems arising from human action present both threats and opportunities for biodiversity. It has been suggested that exotic species can “facilitate” or “inhibit” native biodiversity through habitat modification. In Britain, there is a discussion over the contribution to biodiversity of plantations of exotic conifer species as...

This book brings together a selection of original research articles that address biodiversity and conservation in plantation forests. Although such forests are perhaps the ‘poor cousins’ of the species richer natural and semi-natural forests, they can still make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. This is particularly the case...

Losses of natural and semi-natural forests, mostly to agriculture, are a signiW-cant concern for biodiversity. Against this trend, the area of intensively managed plantation forests increases, and there is much debate about the implications for biodiversity. We pro-vide a comprehensive review of the function of plantation forests as habitat compare...

A description is given of the preliminary stages of an ecological study of the effects of acid precipitation and coniferous afforestation in the Loch Dee Catchments in the Galloway area of south-west Scotland. Information on the current chemical, hydrologieal and biological status of the loch and its three major tributaries is presented. Acid preci...

The need to combat woodland loss and fragmentation are key objectives for forestry and biodiversity conservation strategies in the UK. Conservation action has often been centred on the protection and management of individual sites with limited, often ad hoc, action within the surrounding landscape. However, woodland biodiversity conservation effort...

Habitat fragmentation is the focus of much conservation concern and associated research. In some countries, such as Britain, the main phase of fragmentation occurred centuries ago and the focus of conservation management is now on restoration and recovery. Scenario studies have suggested that spatial targeting is preferable if landscape scale resto...

The interaction of wind and trees can result in substantial changes to forest structure and is of interest to many forest ecologists, but the complexity of the relationship has confounded many studies. The result of the interaction can take many forms across a range of scales, may have chronic and acute components, and can be exacerbated by other c...

There is increasing evidence that changes in habitat structure in the form of reduced understorey and loss of open habitats, both probably a result of increases in shading and deer browsing, may be responsible for causing recent changes in the composition of breeding bird communities in many lowland British woods and forests. In contrast, managemen...

This paper reviews broad geographical patterns in the species composition of breeding woodland bird communities from Ireland to eastern Europe and outlines how processes affecting woodland birds in Britain and Ireland may differ from those operating in mainland Europe. Bird communities in British and Irish woodlands consist of a subset of the speci...

Recent studies have suggested that the neglect of stand management is having a detrimental effect on the habitat of a number of woodland birds in Britain. The remedy, to reinstate active management, appears to run counter to a number of other conservation recommendations such as re-wilding and naturalizing of stands. We attempt to unpick this appar...

Management of planted forests in Britain is changing to incorporate biodiversity and other nontimber values by lengthening rotations, seeking alternatives to clear-felling, and identifying stands for nonintervention. However, there are particular uncertainties over stand development of exotic species on areas of high windthrow hazard. This study co...

The comparative performance of the WASP and MS-Micro/3 airflow models and of the DAMS scoring system in calculating the wind climate in complex forested terrain has been examined. An analysis was carried out of predicted and observed wind speeds collected over 18 months at six monitoring sites in mountainous country in the Cowal Peninsula, western...

Sprouting as a response to injury or changed environmental conditions is uncommon in conifers, but it is a feature of Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.). This study provides observations from two surveys of epicormic sprouts on standing and fallen trees in windthrown gaps within planted Sitka spruce forests of upland Britain. In a surve...

The creation of ‘new forests’ in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the twentieth century was seen by many to be the antithesis of conservation. Many of the new forests were created by planting exotic timber species in native woodland and in upland areas that had not borne trees for centuries. There was much criticism of the potential loss of...

Gaps often form in forest canopies due to windthrow and have important management and ecological implications. Remote sensing has considerable potential for the provision of information on gap properties but this has not been fully realized. This is largely due to the use of conventional (hard, one-pixel one-class) image analysis techniques and ima...

In the Pacific Northwest region of North America ecological and social concerns surrounding the clear-cutting of forest stands have prompted a number of studies investigating alternative silvicultural systems. These alternatives generally involve different levels and patterns of re- tained trees, and are often referred to as green-tree retention or...