Tree provenance in a changing climate - the Woodland Trust's position

This position statement sets out the Woodland Trust’s position on selecting suitable planting material (provenance).

It explores the scientific evidence on which provenances will be best adapted for UK sites in the long term.

It concludes that the risk of importing native tree species from further south to mitigate climate change is not only unnecessary but is also very high risk. The evidence indicates that native trees have a high capacity to adapt to change, especially if consideration is given to allowing regular cycles of natural regeneration.