Mike Dunn

• Researcher at Forest Research - Forestry Commission UK

The values of forests have been extensively researched by focusing on general public perspectives with different frameworks used to categorise them. Studies have also explored forest manager values; however, there is limited evidence on the values they associate with specific tree species. Understanding more about managers’ values regarding a parti...

Woodland creation has become an important objective for a variety of stakeholders to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. One of the key evidence needs is a better understanding of the multiple factors influencing the willingness and ability of landowners and managers to establish new woodlands. To address this gap, a systematic map of...

It is widely acknowledged that a major threat to tree health biosecurity comes from trade, particularly through the importation of containerised live plants and associated growing media. Nurseries can collectively play a key role in mitigating pests and diseases through attention to their daily practices (e.g., procuring plants, storage and managem...

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment stresses that it is possible to manage ecosystems so as to strengthen their capacity to provide a range of goods and services. In reality, the delivery of ecosystem services reflects policy and delivery mechanisms, the environment, and the objectives of landowners and managers. Amid gradual changes to forest poli...

The multidisciplinary ‘Phyto-threats’ project was initiated in 2016 to address the increasing risks to UK forest and woodland ecosystems from trade-disseminated Phytophthora. A major component of this project was to examine the risk of Phytophthora spread through nursery and trade practices. Close to 4000 water and root samples were collected from...

Invasive alien species (IAS) such as the UK's grey squirrel pose a threat to native species and wider ecosystems. The grey's presence has caused the UK's native red squirrel to become extirpated from many areas, while in others they survive in isolated enclaves vulnerable to incursion. Given limited resources, the red squirrels' survival depends on...

In order to prevent and control the emergence of biosecurity threats such as vector-borne diseases of plants, it is vital to understand drivers of entry, establishment, and spatiotemporal spread, as well as the form, timing, and effectiveness of disease management strategies. An inherent challenge for policy in combatting emerging disease is the un...

Societal Impact Statement The horticultural trade relies on healthy plants to flourish. However, its very nature means that it is also a key pathway for the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases. These pests and diseases threaten horticultural stakeholders, and can also cause huge ecological and economic damage. A horticultural sector...

Qualitative research methods contend with debates surrounding subjectivity and bias. Researchers use a variety of techniques to help ensure data trustworthiness. One such technique is to involve multiple coders in data analysis. The deliberative nature of codebook development among multiple coders produces rich data analysis that may not otherwise...

This paper presents the case of a voluntary watershed project that addressed the need for improving water quality by reducing agricultural nutrient loss. The Beargrass Creek Watershed Approach Project in Wabash County, Indiana aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve ambitious water quality goals and maximize the effectiveness of conserv...

Through the lens of the Health Belief Model and Protection Motivation Theory, we analyzed interviews of 36 agricultural advisors in Indiana and Nebraska to understand their appraisals of climate change risk, related decision making processes and subsequent risk management advice to producers. Most advisors interviewed accept that weather events are...

The impacts of non-native, invasive grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) on broadleaf woodlands and red squirrel populations (Sciurus vulgaris) are well recognised among wildlife professionals, yet efforts to control the species across its expanding range require substantial time and resources. Through collaboration, wildlife professionals and com...

For more than 100 years, demonstrations have been used by university extension programs and other conservation professionals to increase knowledge, awareness, and adoption of agricultural practices and technologies. However, there has been no systematic, empirical examination of the effect demonstrations have on adoption of agricultural innovations...

This document reports on social research conducted as part of the Pine Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Project in the Forest of Dean led by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) and partners including the Vincent Wildlife Trust and the Forestry Commission. Stakeholder and public understanding, perceptions and attitudes towards pine martens and...

The Midwestern United States experienced a devastating drought in 2012, leading to reduced corn and soybean yields and increased instances of pests and disease. Climate change induced weather variability and extremes are expected to increase in the future, and have and will continue to impact the agricultural sector. This study investigated how agr...

Water quality problems stemming from the Midwestern U.S. agricultural landscape have been widely recognized and documented. The Midwestern state of Indiana contains tens of thousands of miles of regulated drains that represent biotic communities that comprise the headwaters of the state's many rivers and creeks. Traditional management, however, red...

This study addresses the often chaotic and confounding implications of neoliberalism as it applies to environmental governance in the Canadian forest sector. On one hand, neoliberal governance strategies are said to enhance collaborative and partnership approaches to forest management that empower local stakeholders and communities. On the other ha...

There is evidence that cover crops can bring both environmental and yield benefits to a farm operation, yet according to the USDA's Census of Agriculture, in 2012 less than 5% of the nation's total row crop land was planted to cover crops. In 2014, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) and the Conservation Technology Inf...

The U.S. Cooperative Extension Service was created 100 years ago to serve as a boundary or interface organization between science generated at the nation′s land grant universities and rural communities. Production agriculture in the US is becoming increasingly complex and challenging in the face of a rapidly changing climate and the need to balance...

With lack of affordable housing being clearly identified as a social and economic exclusion issue for most communities, innovative ways of addressing this deficiency should be considered. Increasingly local communities are engaging with the possibility of direct provision themselves and discussion around this notion has profound implications for co...