DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREST SCIENCE IN 1997

Nick Brown
Department of Plant Sciences University of Oxford Oxford

This paper will review internationally significant 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 forestry professionals and public opinion that is typically sceptical and often hostile to foresters and forestry. A number of recommendations are made for improving research dissemination. These include promoting a higher standard of science training in forestry education and amongst forestry professionals and a role for government forestry departments as a test-bench for unproven technology. Easy access by the forestry community to existing research information may be as important as pushing research frontiers ever forward.