UK Forest Genetic Resources Update

An idea that has long been in the mind of many in forestry and woodland conservation is starting to take shape. The project is an online, map-based platform displaying UK field trials that are investigating tree improvement or preserving our Forest Genetic Resources.

At Future Trees Trust we’ve begun to build this platform with a developer at Banyan Design. The database will be publicly available and free to access. It will allow individuals, institutions and charities to share data, facilitate research and foster collaboration as our woodlands face new challenges from climate change and novel diseases and pests.

We’ve just got our hands on the first demo version and wanted to share our progress so far. As you can see in the image, the map interface is populated with a pin for each trial site. When a pin is selected, a pop-up box displays information on the design, layout and datasets that have been collected. Above the map there is a search bar and drop-down menus that will allow the user to filter the pins by Site Type, Tree Species and Location.

The platform is still under development and we hope to launch by late spring. We are also reaching out to other organisations to include their trials on this collaborative platform. If you have any questions, feedback or want to get involved in the project we’d love to hear from you. Please email Joe Beesley at joe.beesley@futuretrees.org

Posted on the 1st April 2020 at 9:52am.