DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREST SCIENCEIN 1997

Dr Nick Brown
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
Oxford

This paper will review internationallysignificant research developments this year in biotechnology, remote sensing,pest control, biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management.These advances are assessed against a background of poor uptake by forestryprofessionals and public opinion that is typically sceptical and oftenhostile to foresters and forestry. A number of recommendations are madefor improving research dissemination. These include promoting a higherstandard of science training in forestry education and amongst forestryprofessionals and a role for government forestry departments as a test-benchfor unproven technology. Easy access by the forestry community to existingresearch information may be as important as pushing research frontiersever forward.