Increasing resistance and resilience of forests, a case study of Great Britain

The forests of Great Britain (GB) are an important resource, which are under threat from climate change and exotic pests and diseases. The forest sector has been proactive in launching initiatives and supporting activities to improve the resistance and resilience of forests in GB. These interventions can be directed at forests at a range of scales, from genetic to national. This article describes the range of potential and actual actions focused on adapting Britain’s forests to climate change and damage from pests and diseases. However, there are also barriers to improving the resilience of forests in GB and these are also discussed.