Forests and Tree Planting: Droughts and Temperature
Commons · Question 23605 · Tabled 28 Aug 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record
Answered 4 Sep 2026
Question
Asked by Manuela Perteghella
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extreme heat and consecutive drought on tree planting and established woodland.
Answer
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, 4 Sep 2026
Forest Research (FR) has assessed that extreme heat and drought can reduce tree growth and increase tree mortality. Consecutive droughts may have cumulative impacts. Tree mortality will be recorded through the field work associated with FR’s National Fore...