Hardknott Forest is being restored from a conifer plantation to semi-natural habitats of oak and birch woodland and open ground. We are interested in the understanding the changes that are taking place and the impacts on ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water quality, biodiversity and recreation. In partnership with the Forestry Commission we have been monitoring the changes in vegetation and tree regeneration since 2007.

We have shown that:

- In areas close to a seed source natural regeneration of native hardwood species on clear felled conifer plantations can exceed 1000 stems per hectare, meeting requirements for establishment of native woodland.

- Natural regeneration is often dominated by birch.

- Absence of ground vegetation and soil disturbance after clear felling encourages natural regeneration.

- Preliminary work suggests clear felling can lead to increased sediment load, turbidity, conductivity and colour, returning to pre-disturbance values after 6-8 years of natural regeneration.

Research opportunities

1) Development of semi-natural woodland on a plantation site

Clear felling in Hardknott Forest has been occuring annually since the late 1990's resulting in a chronosequence of naturally regenerating vegetation with ages of 0-10 years. Studying the vegetation along this chronosequence will give useful information on the speed of recovery of semi-natural vegetation.

2) Grazing and forest regeneration

Dunderdale valley has a series of semi-natural woodlands and recently felled plantation forest with a variety of grazing regimes. In much of the semi-natural woodland regeneration appears to be poor due to grazing by sheep and deer. Elsewhere stock and deer fences have been erected and grazing is controlled. Research is needed to study the impact of grazing on regeneration throughout the valley.

3) Public attitudes to the changing use of a Forestry Commission plantation.

Hardknott forest is currently undergoing a transformation; from timber producing plantation to a semi-natural woodland managed primarily for recreation and conservation values. What are the views of the public who use the forest and the local people that live in Dunnerdale? What changes would people like to see in the future?

4) Linkage to ancient woodland and potential for return of indicator species

Hardknott forest is not a planted ancient woodland site (PAWS) and the rate of return of ancient woodland indicator species might be limited. However, surrounding areas of ancient woodland may be refuges for indicator species. Research is needed to study the potential for linkage to nearby ancient woodland sites and the potential for indicator species to colonise.

5) Micro-habitat and potential, based on various data sets

6) Build a "valley vision" on the back of Dunnerdale potential eg with local landholders etc.

7) Woodland regeneration in Hardknott Forest.

Study the regeneration of woodland species with respect to seed sources in the valley. The management plan relies mainly of natural regeneration rather than planting, with some translocation of tree seedlings to ares demonstrating little regeneration. Is this likely to result in forest recovery in the near term?

8) Use of GIS-based methodologies to target and evaluate native woodland regeneration in the Duddon Valley.

The Duddon Valley/Dunnerdale Valley has some of the largest concentrations of ancient and semi natural woodland in the Lake District. The FC's ongoing removal of conifer species at the head of this valley system creates an opportunity to look at the wider connectivity of this woodland both with the valley and across into neighbouring systems. GIS methodologies can be used to investigate potential linkages/connectivity and evaluate the potential landscape and ecological impacts of native woodland regeneration.

9) Development of web-based GIS tools for planning and evaluating landscape change in the Duddon Valley

Suggestions for expanding current work on removal of plantation conifer in the Duddon Valley into a valley-wide project of connected woodland creates a need for an easy to use and accessible planning support tool that could be used to solicit public opinion on landscape change and help people visualise the stages of regeneration in the valley over a period of 100 years or more. Results from public surveys will benefit the planning process and help guide woodland regeneration within the valley.

10) Modelling hydrological the effects of widespread woodland regeneration and landscape change in the Duddon Valley.

Removal of conifer plantations and replacement with native woodland, together with proposals for a wider system of linked woodland within the Duddon Valley has potential costs/benefits for modification of existing flow, sediment and water quality regimes within local rivers. This project will review exisiting research on the effects of plantation woodland and native woodland regeneration and carry out fieldwork that will provide a baseline against which predictive models can be run and on which future monitoring can be based.

11) Developing an NVC map and potential woodland species map for planning woodland regeneration in the Duddon Valley.