Decades-long experiment on flooding begins in the Yorkshire Dales | Climate News

On the tops of the Yorkshire Dales, a group of scientists brace against a winter frost.

All around them are tens of thousands of saplings that will soon grow into one of England’s biggest new native woodlands – and become the subjects of a massive, decades-long experiment.

The hillside, called Snaizeholme in North Yorkshire, will become a vast patchwork of trees, heathers, and peat bogs. It sounds idyllic, but the plan isn’t just to make God’s Own Country more beautiful. Instead, the trees, wildlife and funghi should all help to reduce flooding in the villages below.

It’s a huge undertaking – the biggest piece of scientific research ever started on English uplands.

The experiments the scientists are installing will last two decades and measure everything from how many lightning strikes occur, to how fast the valley’s 21 streams run, to how dense the soil is.

They’re trying to work out how quickly a restored habitat like this can protect us from the problems caused by extreme weather, which are likely to become more common as the atmosphere warms up.

Dr John Crawford from the Woodland Trust said: “Trees can play a really important role in helping us adapt to some of the impacts of climate change. They can provide shelter and reduce flood risk by slowing the flow of water in our landscapes.

“They can also provide homes for wildlife and nature to return to our landscapes. And that’s really important because with climate change, we’re likely to see increased threats to both people and nature.”

When it rains, trees work a bit like skewers in a lemon drizzle cake….