Research is a core activity for UBoC. We strive to provide robust science for policy makers, to ensure that our research has real world impact. This research feeds into our project work, and is an output, both for UBoC and for our academic partners (LEAF) at the University of Leeds. Find some of our most recent publications below, including research carried out and/or funded by UBoC.
Our research
Upland woodlands reduce flood risks downstream
Research from Dr Felicity Monger’s UBoC-funded PhD at the University of Leeds explores the capacity for woodlands to reduce flooding downstream, compared with other common upland land uses.
Journal of Flood Risk Management. Volume 17, Issue 2. February 2024
Hydrological Processes. Volume 36, Issue 4. March 2022
Hydrological Processes. Volume 36, Issue 1. December 2021
Natural colonisation and management for UK upland woodland creation
UBoC and University of Leeds Researchers at Ingleborough, led by George Porton, show that sheep grazing is a key limiting factor of natural colonisation in the UK uplands and their removal can increase numbers of naturally colonising trees each year. Tree planting will still be required to restore tree cover to areas away from seed sources and improve diversity of future woodlands, however.
Ecological Solutions and Evidence. Volume 5, Issue 2. June 2024
Tree replacement for carbon sequestration parity
An assessment of tree replacement rates needed to maintain carbon sequestration parity within the city of Leeds was prepared by the UBoC funded team at the University of Leeds for Leeds City Council.
Informing a carbon-based tree planting strategy
The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, aiming to increase the region’s tree canopy cover from 11% to 19% by 2050. The UBoC team at the University of Leeds was commissioned to assess how much carbon could potentially be removed from the atmosphere by this tree planting.
Assessing costs of Indonesian fires and benefits of restoring peatland
Deforestation and drainage has made Indonesian peatlands susceptible to burning, which releases large amounts of CO2 and air pollutants, resulting in adverse health effects. Laura Kiely’s PhD estimated that if restoration had already been completed, the area burned in 2015 would have been reduced by 6%, reducing CO2 emissions by 18%, and PM2.5 emissions by 24%, preventing 12,000 premature mortalities. Peatland restoration could have resulted in economic savings of US$8.4 billion for 2004–2015, making it a cost-effective strategy for reducing the impacts of peatland fires to the environment, climate and human health.
An assessment of road-verge grass as a feedstock
With 270,000 km of rural roads and motorways in the UK, the majority of which have grass verges. A study with researchers from UBoC (Judith Ford) and the University of Leeds examines the potential for road-verge grass to contribute to the feedstock of anaerobic digesters to generate bioenergy.
Biomass and Bioenergy. Volume 138. July 2020.
Quantifying forest growth uncertainty on carbon payback times
UBoC researchers have published a new paper to estimate the carbon payback periods for biomass fuel use. The work of Will Rolls and Piers Forster follows research by Sterman et al. who developed a simple Dynamic Life Cycle Analysis (DLCA) model, to predict carbon payback periods for a range of forest types in the USA.
Environmental research communications. Volume 2. April 2020.
Loss of carbon stocks in Vietnam attributed to logging
Two papers from researchers at the University of Leeds investigate the loss of carbon stocks in Vietnam attributed to logging, and the relationship between logging and livelihoods. Research was carried out in the lowland forest area of Khe Nuo Trong, in partnership with the University of York, the World Land Trust and Viet Nature.
Forest Ecology and Management. Volume 460. March 2020.
Environmental Research Letter. Volume 15. June 2020.
Enhancing the benefits of the trees on campus
As part of the Leeds4Trees project we are exploring the value of trees and green spaces across the city of Leeds. In collaboration with UBoC, the Sustainability Service at the University of Leeds, Leeds City Council, The Woodland Trust, Treeconomics and Forest Research, we carried out an i-Tree survey of the University of Leeds campus, estimating the ecosystem services delivered by 1450 trees.
University of Leeds Image Library
The Benefits of Urban Green Spaces
“A brief guide to the benefits of urban green spaces” is a joint publication from the Leeds Ecosystem, Atmosphere and Forest (LEAF) centre, UBoC and the Sustainable Cities Group at the University of Leeds, with contributions from Catherine Mercer, Catherine Scott, Kirsty Pringle, Martin Dallimer and Dominick Spracklen.
We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and UBoC.
