In 1996 concerns were raised, in the Environment Select Committee’s first report on water conservation and supply, that the government’s ambition to double woodland cover in England could significantly reduce water resources, particularly under predicted climate change. In 1997, the Department of Transport and the Regions funded a 2-year project (TADPOLE) involving Loughborough University, Newcastle University and Forest Research, to examine the effect of various forest types on different soil/geological combinations. The study assessed the water use and groundwater recharge of oak, Corsican pine, grass and heather on Triassic sandstone in Clipstone Forest, Nottinghamshire. The project was extended for a further 2.5 years in 1999 to resolve uncertainty over the water use of pine. This involved instrumenting a new pine site in July 2000 and clear felling the original pine site in October 2000. Subsequent monitoring continued to assess the extent of rewetting following tree clearance up to September 2006.
See also: Calder, I.R., Reid, I., Nisbet, T.R., Armstrong, A., Green, J.C. and Parkin, G. 2002. Study of the potential impacts on water resources of proposed afforestation. Trees and Drought Project on Lowland England – TaDPoLE. Loughborough University report to the Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra). Attribution statement: Forest Research must be acknowledged as the source of the data and DT&R as the funders of the research in any subsequent papers/products.
