Reducing the impact of climate change and other environmental stresses on native UK oak tree health

我有地理信息系统和测量学的背景，对新的测量技术和遥感在树木健康评估和森林管理中的应用非常感兴趣。橡树是英国三叶树的标志性和必不可少的组成部分。然而，近年来，橡树的数量大幅减少。鉴于越来越多的威胁，人们对他们的健康和未来感到担忧。这是一笔很大的赌注，因为英国本土的两个橡树物种--栎树(Quercus Robur)和栎树(Quercus Petraea)--构成了当地阔叶林地的最大组成部分，而且由于寿命长，有可能比其他树种储存更多的碳。我正在调查气候变化、虫害和疾病等威胁如何影响英国当前和未来的橡树种群。了解哪些因素推动了橡树的健康，将有助于我提出缓解压力的干预措施，并为利益相关者提供数据，以评估森林管理技术。我的博士学位是行动橡树计划的合作伙伴。研究问题我博士的主要关注点是描述英国本土橡树种群健康变化的分布和驱动因素，并找出橡树特别危险的地区。概括的研究问题是：RQ1)英国本土橡树物种分布在哪里，哪些因素控制了它们的空间位置？使用各种模型类型(如物种分布模型)对当前英国本地橡树种群进行建模。建模将整合和综合不同的现有库存和测绘数据。评估当前英国本土橡树的分布和丰度的基线。RQ2)本土橡木健康的驱动力是什么？它们之间是如何相互作用的？对区域分布的地点进行精细研究，以确定和评估当地橡树健康的驱动因素，并与其他数据集(如土地利用图和气候数据)进行比较。国家规模的健康模型，例如，通过外推国家森林资源清查(NFI)地块数据。回顾现有文献，以确定影响橡树健康的全国性因素。RQ3)鉴于日益增加的环境压力和气候变化，本土橡树的分布和健康在未来可能会发生变化吗？利用多个尺度的模型来确定英国本土橡树要么容易受到影响，要么表现良好，以应对未来的气候情景。使用新的遥感技术量化英国本土橡树目前和未来的碳封存程度。我将综合一系列技能和数据来源，包括大规模数据集、地理信息系统、编程、建模和现场验证工作。我还将开发模型，以确定英国哪些地区的橡树可能容易受到影响，或者相对较好，以回应当前和未来对气候条件的预测。将用于模拟原生橡树分布的现有数据集包括国家森林调查、古树调查和英国国家森林资源中心乡村调查。由于与气候变化有关，对橡树种群的特征将需要量化当前和预测的碳固存水平。为此，我将探索遥感技术，并利用配备激光雷达技术的低成本无人机平台来估计当前和未来橡树种群的碳固存。

With a background in GIS and surveying, I have a strong interest in the application of novel survey techniques and remote sensing to tree health assessments and forest management. Oak trees are an iconic and essential component of the UK's treescape. Yet, in recent years, oak populations have vastly decreased. Given an increasing number of threats, there is concern for their health and future. Much is a stake, as the UK's two native oak species, Quercus robur and Quercus petraea, form the largest component of native broadleaf woodland and have the potential to store more carbon than other tree species, due to being long-lived. I'm investigating how threats such as climate change and pests and diseases, are impacting the UK's current and future oak populations. An understanding of which factors drive oak health, will help me to suggest interventions to alleviate stresses and provide stakeholders with data to evaluate forest management techniques. My PhD is partnered with the Action Oak initiative. Research Questions The primary focus of my PhD is to characterise the distribution and drivers of changes in health of the UK's native oak population and identify regions where oaks are particularly at risk. The generalised research questions are: RQ1) Where are native oak species distributed in the UK and which factors control their spatial location? Model the current native oak population of the UK using various model types e.g., a Species Distribution Model. Modelling will integrate and synthesize disparate existing inventory and mapping data. Assess the baseline of current distribution and abundance of native UK oaks. RQ2) What are the drivers of native oak health and how do they interact with one other? Conduct a fine scale study of regionally spread sites to identify and assess local drivers of oak health, in comparison to other data sets such as land use maps and climate data. Model health at national scales e.g., from extrapolating National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data. Review existing literature to determine the nationwide factors impacting oak health. RQ3) Given increasing environmental stresses and climate change, is the distribution and health of native oaks likely to change in the future? Utilise models at multiple scales to identify regions of the UK where native oaks are either susceptible or alternatively doing well in response to future climate scenarios. Quantify the current and future extent of carbon sequestration by native UK oaks using novel remote sensing techniques. Techniques I'm going to be synthesising a range of skills and data sources including large-scale datasets, GIS, programming, modelling and field validation work. I will also develop models to identify regions of the UK where oaks are potentially susceptible or alternatively doing relatively well, in response to current and future predictions of climatic conditions. Existing datasets that will be utilised for modelling the distribution of native oak include the National Forest Inventory, Ancient Tree Inventory and UKCEH Countryside Survey. Characterising the oak population will entail quantifying current and predicted levels of carbon sequestration, due to the link with climate change. To do this, I will explore remote sensing techniques and utilise low-cost UAV platforms equipped with LiDAR technology to estimate carbon sequestration in current and future oak populations.