This report explores how woodland creation and timber use in Wales can enhance ecosystem services, supporting climate goals, rural economies and community wellbeing
Woodknowledge Wales has published a new report exploring how woodland creation and the use of timber products affect ecosystem services in Wales. This report was written by Tom Henderson.
While the climate benefits of tree planting are widely recognised, the new research highlights the broader societal value that forests and forest products can deliver when viewed through the lens of ecosystem services. These include benefits to water regulation, biodiversity, local climate moderation, and public wellbeing.
Understanding forests as living infrastructure
The report makes the case that forests should be understood as more than just carbon sinks or timber reserves—they are complex, living infrastructure that deliver a wide range of services to people and places. Ecosystem services refer to the material, regulatory, cultural, and supporting benefits we derive from healthy ecosystems. Strategic woodland creation can support these services in different ways, depending on where and how trees are planted and managed.
Timber products, too, can carry ecosystem service value—especially when produced and used in ways that extend carbon storage, reduce waste, and minimise pollution through the value chain.
A life cycle perspective on forest value
The research was led by Thomas Henderson at Woodknowledge Wales and draws on ecosystem service modelling and emerging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques. It argues for a more integrated approach to sustainability assessment—one that links the forest, the value chain, and the landscape.
Key findings include:
- Afforestation and the use of long-lived timber products are key to reducing carbon emissions, strengthening rural economies, and reducing reliance on imports.
- Ecosystem services trade-offs must be managed based on local conditions, recognising that forests cannot provide all benefits equally in all locations.
- Life cycle tools can be adapted to reflect the spatial and ecological impacts of timber value chains—helping to capture not only environmental pressures but also the benefits wood products can enable.
- Policy alignment is needed to match tree planting targets with value chain development and spatial ecosystem opportunities.
A call for data-driven planning
The report identifies a number of research and policy gaps—particularly the need for regional data on the supply and demand for ecosystem services in Wales. It recommends:
- Integrating ecosystem service assessment into spatial forestry planning
- Developing timber value chains alongside afforestation strategies
- Expanding Wales-specific data resources and modelling tools
- Creating frameworks for assessing the “embodied ecosystem services” of forest products
This work sets the stage for more nuanced, evidence-based strategies for woodland creation that go beyond headline targets and focus on long-term value for people, climate, and nature.
