CIH x PlantNetwork x Plant Heritage Winter/Spring Lecture Series: Week 1 - Dr Estrella Luna Diez ‘The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Project’

The Chartered Institute of Horticulture, PlantNetwork and Plant Heritage have come together to organise a four week lecture series throughout the winter and into the spring on the topics: National Tree Week, our Green Heritage, Soil Biodiversity and Pollinators. 

Week 1: National Tree Week - Dr Estrella Luna Diez ‘The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Project’

Dr Luna Diez is originally from Spain, and studied as a plant pathologist working in the UK since early 2009. She now lectures at the University of Birmingham in Plant Pathology. Her work is aimed towards plant protection and biosecurity. Dr Luna-Diez studies the sophisticated immune system of plants in order to exploit their resistance capacity to a maximum.

Established in 2014, The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Project (BiFoR) conducts cutting-edge research on the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and other environmental stressors on forest ecosystems.

A highlight of BIFoR’s facilities is the Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) facility, which enables scientists to study the effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ levels on forests in real-time. This unique setup allows for groundbreaking research that spans multiple disciplines, including geography, biosciences, engineering, and social sciences.

However, our research stretches much wider than that. Indeed, BIFoR aims to provide fundamental science, social science and cultural research of direct relevance to forested landscapes anywhere in the world. 

BIFoR’s mission is to provide critical insights that inform sustainable forest management and conservation strategies, ensuring the health and resilience of forests for future generations.

To book in for this talk Click here and use the promo code: NATIONALTW2026