How woodland tree nurseries can help tackle climate change

Our planet is warming; there’s no denying it. We must increasingly tackle both the causes and effects of this changing climate.     

Tree nurseries are a crucial resource in the toolbox of solutions that are helping society to adapt to the effects of climate change and at the same time alleviating some of the causes, such as harmful levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.  

Woodland tree nurseries can be designed to provide many more robust trees and support the ecosystem in which they’re grown, contributing to the recovery of nature and a reversal of biodiversity loss.   

What is a woodland tree nursery hub?  

A traditional tree nursery propagates trees of the same age and species in pots or beds, with an end age or level of maturity in mind. Once they have grown to a certain stage, they are then replanted into suitable locations, such as woodland or for various purposes on agricultural land.   

Woodland nursery hubs move away from a single age, monocrop method and supports an approach that emulates nature. The nurseries establish communities of trees in a more natural and diverse design to harness the trees’ support mechanisms to result in healthier saplings.   

How can woodland tree nurseries help with climate change?  

Establishing healthy and strong trees through a woodland tree nursery can be an effective method to combat climate change, and some of the environmental changes that come with it, as explained below. 

Prioritising soil  

Biologically rich and healthy soils are the most efficient at storing carbon. According to the Soil Association, globally, soils store more carbon than all the world’s forests and plants combined.   

Despite offering large potential to absorb and sequester atmospheric carbon, soil does not always receive the recognition it deserves as a climate change mitigation tool.  

Establishing nursery hubs that are built on healthy soil, rich in organic matter and with healthy populations of microbiota will allow trees to grow faster and more strongly. 

Prioritising soil health throughout the tree growing and propagation process can provide a more effective buffer to extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall, and drastic temperature fluctuations. In an agricultural system, healthy soil can also support function and productivity.   

Adaptability  

TreeSource's nursery hubs are designed to adapt to the changing climate because of our combination of diverse tree species and well cared for soil. 

Woodland nursery trees can share resources and grow together. They are more adaptable to changing weather conditions, in comparison to monocrops that are grown separately from one another.  

Not only will the trees themselves be able to acclimatise through being grown in a woodland nursery hub, but surrounding land also benefits. Flood, drought, tree loss and biodiversity loss can all be mitigated through the micro-climatic moderating abilities of trees.    

Nursery hubs that fulfil multi strata designs can be especially adaptable as the closeness of the trees shelters and protects them, providing resilience for the trees and their dependent ecosystems.  

Vital fungal networks  

With their extensive list of virtues, fungi deserve to be called the most amazing organisms in the world. They proliferate through dirt and grow into anything, from microscopic yeast cells to sprawling networks that comprise our lungs. They’re also great at helping us mitigate and adapting to climate change.  

Tree fungal networks work on behalf of their hosts, facilitating communication and accessing hard-to-reach nutrients and water. These symbiotic relationships support faster growth and uptake of carbon dioxide. These fungi also directly add to soil carbon through the production of biomass and the decomposition of organic materials.   

Securing food supplies 

TreeSource focus on producing trees that can generate food such as fruits and nuts or other useful materials such as fibre and woodchip. Our woodland tree nursery hubs can also support agricultural production through soil fertility improvement, soil water holding capacity and by increasing pollinators. The trees, once planted out into the landscape, can also provide shelter for animals and protect crops against extreme weather conditions.  

Encouraging a diversity of production also means that the wholesale crop failures, from pest or disease, are mitigated.  

Nature-driven models for a changing planet  

Nature is highly resilient and supporting it through wilding and nature-focused approaches can assist in its recovery. Recovering nature can help to mitigate climate change alongside adapting to the changes that are already occurring.  

TreeSource is championing a shift away from the traditional nursery approach to provide a solution that emulates, and works with, nature. We know we must look after nature and the Earth for it to continue looking after us.  

If you are interested in implementing a nursery hub on your land, or would like to know more about our wilding approach, please get in touch today.