Bracken

Bracken can be bad news for woodlands, reducing potential for tree regeneration. People have made big to control or get rid of bracken from woodland in many places. But there has not been much research to see how different control methods later affect how tree seeds germinate and get established.

Research in the Core Forest Sites project was carried out to see which method of bracken control would stimulate tree regeneration and to demonstrate potential control methods in upland areas.

From this three-year study we will be able to recommend appropriate techniques for use in native woodlands in the Scottish uplands. A study day to communicate findings is planned for 2006.