Forest Carbon | Ruddenleys

Forest Carbon Historical Projects at Ruddenleys

The woodland creation project at Ruddenleys is the lastest in a series of projects put together by the Tweed Forum and Forest Carbon. The woodlands are designed to capture carbon dioxide, mitigate flooding, purify rivers and create habitat for biodiversity. This native woodland is planted in compartments along headwaters of the Eddleston catchment.

Natural Flood Management

In September 2008 and July 2009 prolonged and intense rainfall caused major flooding in the north-east Cheviots, on the Scottish/English border, with significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, woodland and communities as far south as Morpeth. A review was commissioned by the Tweed Forum – a charitable body, backed by a broad public and private membership, with a brief to co-ordinate actions that lead to the sustainable management of the river and its catchment – into how best to prevent and ameliorate the recurrence of such events. There is a considerable body of practical knowledge and research evidence pointing to riparian woodlands as an effective means of flood management, through the following means:

By reducing peak flood flows through woodland soil’s ‘sponge’ effect
By reducing run-off through evaporation of water intercepted by the woodland canopy, or through transpiration by tree roots
By slowing run-off through damming caused by Woodland debris
By reducing the amount of silt that reaches rivers, thus enhancing their capacity, and by stabilising river banks

By reducing the amount of water reaching the watercourses, and then lengthening the period over which the surge of water is delivered to a watercourse, flooding is either prevented altogether or reduced. Upstream flood management is also very cost-effective – removing the need for difficult to implement flood protection, or the expensive consequences of flooding, in urban areas.

Biodiversity Benefits

Riparian woodland also make the following important contribution to woodland and river biodiversity:

Base flows of rivers are maintained – important for fish survival in the summer
Dappled shading of streams – keeps summer water temperatures low
Pollutants are filtered from entering watercourses by trees
Woodlands provide habitat and habitat connectivity

There are no public access limitations at the Ruddenleys woodland.

Species Mix

Alder
Aspen
Birch
Cherry
Hawthorn
Hazel
Oak
Rowan
Willow
Scots Pine

Forest Carbon Historical Projects at Ruddenleys

19,008 trees

14.3 hectares

Spring 2014

4,894 tonnes CO2

Project Additional Benefits

Community

Flood Mitigation

Water Quality

Wildlife

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