Monitoring our forests with Forest Lab
Date: 2023- ongoing
Timescale: ongoing
Organisation: Forest Research, Sylva Foundation, Aberystwyth University
Lead researcher(s): Celyn Bassett
Synopsis
This collaboration aims to gather detailed information on tree health and inform national-scale woodland monitoring and management planning within woodlands. The project will assess the impact of climate as well as pests and diseases such as defoliation, mildew and Acute Oak Decline (AOD) and review management options for oak woodlands via an Oak Health app.
The app enables volunteers to record observations of tree stature, crown health and other key indicators, as well as the location of the tree. In the early stages of the project researchers identified 36 disease indicators such as stem bleeding, crown dieback, insect damage and fungal growth. By describing these symptoms quantitatively, they developed phenotypic indexes for oak decline that make it possible to assess the severity of a tree’s decline.
The method was then simplified to include 16 descriptors that are both straightforward to assess and strong predictors of a tree’s overall health. The data collected through the app feeds into predictive models, estimating the health of trees based on historical observations. Comprehensive training materials, including videos and field guides, have also been provided. Participants are encouraged to assess a minimum of five trees per woodland- this can include English oak, sessile oak or hybrid individuals. All data are recorded through the web app and submitted via ForestLab to contribute to a long-term dataset on UK oak health.
Training days were held at Wyre Forest and Wakefield in 2024, to meet project participants and guide them through using the Oak Health app. The hands-on sessions gave participants the opportunity to practice tree health assessments and improve the quality and consistency of their data.
Between May - September 2025 more than 300 native oak trees were assessed using the app. Volunteers measured both symptomatic and asymptomatic trees. These included gnarled sessile oaks in the post-industrial coppiced woodlands of Pembrokeshire and ancient solitary trees in the open parklands of London. New symptomatic trees were recorded in multiple locations, helping track the spread of AOD and other decline symptoms.
Looking ahead, we aim to continue expanding monitoring into underrepresented areas and promoting our work to grow the number of participants monitoring the condition of our native oak trees.
“Woodland owners have joined the Oak Health project to gain skills in tree health assessment and actively contribute to national monitoring.”
Volunteers are invited to join the project via MyForest
Contact: actionoakinfo@rfs.org.uk
