Analysis of the Fragmented Woodlands in the Island of Jersey
In 2019 a Jersey NGO ‘Planting for the Planet’ commissioned a full survey of Jersey’s
woodlands for the purposes of producing a report detailing the current conditions of the
fragmented woodland patches in Jersey. The aim was to document current carbon
sequestration, assess the potential for future drawdowns and calculate the viability of a
carbon credit scheme. Data collected was to give a picture into the future of the woodland
under the current management scheme and inform about invasive species presence. It was
intended that the data collected could be used to inform management decisions,
conservation efforts, designate protected areas and be the base line for the carbon credit
scheme. Lack of statistical consideration in the planning phase and complications caused by
the covid pandemic and lack of funding has led to an incomplete data set. This in turn has
meant that there is insufficient data to calculate current carbon storage and sequestration
(diameter at breast height of trees was measured but tree species was not identified).
Statistical validity will be questionable due to the amount of data manipulation needed prior
to statistical testing, increasing errors and biases.