Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
29 September 2009

Understanding Daylight in the Context of Continuous Cover Forestry

Overview:

Understanding daylight and the manner in which it affects the growth of trees is not a simple matter. The way in which people perceive the subject is often somewhat vague, and knowledge of the basics can be rather patchy. A better understanding of daylight should put us in a better position to understand what is happening in the forest and how our actions might affect this, particularly when aiming for a low impact, CCF regime. Light is one of the basic tools in the manager’s portfolio, and it is perhaps comforting to know that there will always be a need for experienced practitioners, who can interpret what they see on the ground.

This one day seminar was designed to give practitioners a better understanding of daylight and its role in regeneration and the growth of healthy forests, and included an exploration of technologies which are used to measure daylight

In the morning there was a plenary session and in the afternoon there were field demonstrations using equipment provided by Skye Instruments and Delta-T Services.


Transcripts:

File: File Type: Size: Link:
Daylight Conference Programme PDF [93 KB] link
Chairman’s Welcome
PDF
[74 KB] link
Review of the Seminar PDF [365 KB] link

What are the main factors in determining the effectiveness of daylight in woodlands?
Rodney Helliwell (Consultant)

PDF [288 KB] link

Variation in light intensity at different latitudes and seasons, effects of cloud cover, and the amounts of direct and diffuse light
Paul Burgess (Cranfield University)

PDF [901 KB] link

Amounts of light required for photosynthesis, and interaction with other abiotic and biotic factors
Maurizio Mencuccini (Edinburgh University)

PDF [2.5 MB] link

Field assessment and estimation of light under various canopy conditions and in gaps
Mathias Disney (University College, London)

PDF [2.3 MB] link

Results of Field Demonstrations

PDF [68 KB] link

Open Discussion
Chaired by Andy Poore (Consultant)

PDF [146 KB] link

Summing up: review of need for further studies, publications and training
Graham Gill (Forest Enterprise, Kielder)

PDF [97 KB] link

*To download the files, right-click on the above links and choose “Save As” to download.


Sponsors:

We are grateful for the generous support of:



White Fir, Sierra Nevada. Figure from Jupp et al. (2009) Estimating forest LAI profiles and structural parameters using a ground-based laser called Echidna, Tree Physiology 29(2) 171-181 (as shown in Mathias Disney’s talk)