Chris Pollard

Social Scientist
Forest Research

Projects

Environment
Identifying key questions and leverage points for plant health in the natural environment
Project Lead: Ruth Mitchell
The natural environment is at risk from a range of plant pests and pathogens that could have cascading effects on wider biodiversity. Outside of woodlands, these risks are rarely considered but are relevant across all habitats. Activities such as habitat restoration and creation as well as day to day land management could risk accidently introducing plant pests and pathogens through movement of dirty machinery, soil or plants. Biosecurity risk assessments are rarely conducted when doing such work. This work builds on two previous Plant Health Centre projects: one looking at plant heath risks to the natural environment and a second that developed a general framework for exploring leverage points to improve plant health. This project will produce a detailed map of stakeholders around existing and emerging natural environment work (e.g. including biodiversity credits, carbon credits, rewilding, community transfers). In discussion with stakeholders the project will develop a systems view of where their activities intersect with a need for plant health awareness and action and identify key leverage points for better biosecurity in the natural environment, that can rapidly achieve practical gains.

Image by Rudy & Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment
Biosecurity for plant health: better justification of precautionary measures
Project Lead: Chris Pollard
Whilst it is generally agreed that ‘prevention is better than cure’ in plant health, translating such logic into precautionary actions does not always happen. Precautions can be encouraged in a variety of ways – through development of implementable actions, risk assessments, encouragement of best practice, and general appeals to adopt approaches which prevent future losses. However, this does not adequately address risky behaviour. Whilst better information may not be sufficient to change practices, there is a weakness in our ability to justify precaution. This project seeks to address this gap by considering whether there are different approaches, or additional information which might be considered.

Drawing upon and summarise existing literature, in addition to engagement with experts and practitioners with knowledge of existing sectoral practices in Scotland, UK and internationally, as well as gap analysis, the project will generate a better understanding of the rationale for taking precautions and an improved evidence base with which to justify taking action, answering four main questions:
• What are the current barriers to adopting precautionary measures?
• How can barriers be reduced?
• What are the limitations of the current risk assessment process?, and
• What are the priority areas for action and further research?
Forestry, Environment
A preliminary investigation into the threat of Bronze Birch Borer (BBB - Agrilus anxius) for Scotland
Project Lead: Katrina Dainton
Birch is an important component of Scotland’s broadleaved woodlands and as individual trees in Scottish landscapes – with high aesthetic and biodiversity associated values as well as a range of uses for the wood. Birch, because of pioneering qualities and rapid early growth, is often favoured by woodland managers in native woodland reforestation, and because it copes with exposure and poor site conditions, can provide shelter for domestic animals in many upland farming regions. The Bronze Birch Borer (BBB) is not present in the UK but is regarded as high risk (UK Pest Risk Register) and represent a serious threat to Scotland’s broadleaved trees, woods and forests. The relative importance of birch to Scottish growers and landscapes suggests a stronger sensitivity to the threat of BBB than generally across the UK; characterization of the BBB threat is poor, e.g. compared to Emerald Ash Borer, a related pest.

This project is being conducted on behalf of the Plant Heath Centre, Scottish Forestry and NatureScot and aims to better characterise the threat of BBB to Scotland.

Impact: Draw together available evidence and, where feasible, gather new evidence relating to the threat of Bronze Birch Borer to Scotland; and provide information to inform contingency plans and make recommendations for further work to refine the evidence.
Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment
Assessment of large-scale plant biosecurity risks to Scotland from large scale plantings for landscaping and infra-structure projects
Project Lead: Mariella Marzano
Large scale infra-structure projects such as transport networks and major housing projects typically include extensive landscaping and planting programmes. These operate at a large scale, often require instant visual impacts (semi-mature shrubs and trees) and face significant cost pressures. The modest scale of domestic production creates challenges in obtaining material from local sources, which can favour low-cost large-scale plant imports with associated risks of pest and disease entry. This project will fill in key knowledge gaps with those responsible for selecting, procuring and planting plants and trees on a large-scale to provide an understanding of how/whether biosecurity features in their decision-making and make recommendations for any changes required to improve bio-secure practices.

Impact: Provide Scottish Government policy with an assessment of the major biosecurity pitfalls and opportunities arising from large-scale landscaping plantings.
Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment
Assessment of large-scale plant biosecurity risks to Scotland from non-specialist and online horticultural sales
Project Lead: Mariella Marzano
Retail horticulture is a large-scale industry in the UK, with ornamental horticulture and landscaping worth an estimated £24.2 billion national GDP in 2017. The industry is characterised by a large volume of individual transactions and the transport of a diverse range of plant materials (with accompanying soil and packaging) to a highly distributed set of final destinations (households). These horticultural sales represent a complex and pervasive vector network, which carries the risk of transportation of pests and pathogens to surrounding parks and gardens, agricultural systems, woodlands, forests and the wider environment. The diversity of the plant material in trade and the multitude of suppliers and recipients creates a major challenge for managing biosecurity. This project will identify decision-makers, their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours relating to plant health, and assess opportunities and barriers to better plant biosecurity and the potential role of a Plant Health Assurance Scheme.

Impact: This project will enable policy to identify and prioritise plant biosecurity vulnerabilities from non-specialist and online horticultural sales.

Publications

Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment | Final Report and Policy Document

Biosecurity for plant health: better justification of precautionary measures

Authors: Chris Pollard, Robert Hattersley, Marios Theocharopoulos, Rehema White
May 2024

This project engaged experts and practitioners with knowledge of existing sectoral practices in Scotland, UK and internationally, summarised existing literature and undertook a gap analysis, to generate a better understanding of the rationale for taking precautions and to improve the evidence base with which to justify taking actions.

Forestry, Environment | Final Report and Policy Document

Preliminary investigation into the threat of Bronze Birch Borer (BBB - Agrilus anxius) to Scotland

Authors: Katrina Dainton, Chris Pollard, Felix Trotter, Alaina Paterson, Mike Dunn, Mariella Marzano, Ashleigh Whiffin, Thomas Kendall, David Williams
August 2023

The Bronze Birch Borer (BBB, Agrilus anxius) is a major threat to birch trees. This project had co-funding from Scottish Forestry and NatureScot and undertook evidence gathering to assess the threat BBB poses to Scotland, inform risk assessment, surveillance and contingency planning, and identify key risks and knowledge gaps.

Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment | Final Report

Assessment of large-scale plant biosecurity risks to Scotland from non-specialist and online horticultural sales

Authors: Chris Pollard, Alaina Paterson, Mariella Marzano
October 2021

This project focused on an initial exploration of tree and plant biosecurity risks to Scotland arising from large-scale movement of plants via non-specialist (those for which plants are not their primary product type, e.g., supermarkets, DIY and lifestyle stores) and online plant retailers. By better understanding the characteristics of these retailer types, the plant health behaviours they undertake, and the challenges they face, potential avenues were offered for greater engagement and collaboration on biosecurity with this important, but understudied and hard to reach sector.

Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environment | Final Report

Assessment of plant biosecurity risks to Scotland from large scale plantings for landscaping and infra-structure projects

Authors: Berglind Karlsdottir, Chris Pollard, Alaina Paterson, Harry Watkins, Mariella Marzano
October 2021

Planting for large-scale landscaping and infrastructure can typically involve tens of thousands of individual plants, potentially threatening plant health in Scotland due to the biosecurity risks of imports and widespread planting of infested or diseased plants. This project aimed to understand the extent and means to mitigate against such plant biosecurity risks with a focus on mapping the pathways from plant specification through to planting and establishment and highlight different biosecurity awareness for actors, in decision-making and procurement processes.