I would like to make a series of introduction posts to welcome our keynote speakers at the Dead Wood Meeting 2021
Vikki Bengtsson
Vikki Bengtsson is a senior ecologist working at Pro Natura in Sweden. She has worked professionally with nature conservation for 30 years with issues relating to practical management and restoration of wood pastures and ancient trees, management of old pollards and veteranisation. She trains arborists, landscape architects, site managers and planners in the care and management of ancient trees. In the Dead Wood Meeting on 28th October, her keynote will describe how damaging young trees, known as veteranisation, helps create decaying wood habitats more quickly. Most of the inspiration for the techniques that have been used in recent years has come from observing natural processes. This presentation will describe why veteranisation is worth considering, where it may be appropriate, potential benefits for biodiversity associated with old trees and some different techniques that may be tried. In addition some of the early results from an international trial that was set up in 2012 with 980 oak trees, to evaluate the impact of veteranisation on a more scientific basis will be presented.
Register for the Dead Wood Meeting 2021 by 10 October.
