Our Partners
Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests (ECTF)
ECTF aims to support the sustainable management of forests and their contribution to society throughout the world.
What is ECTF?
The Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests (ECTF) is a partnership of five Edinburgh based member organisations, which takes advantage of their strongly complementary missions and close proximity to share experience and work, together on projects. They are:
- LTS International
- The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
- The Forestry Commission
- Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
- The University of Edinburgh.
ECTF is ideally placed to facilitate communication on topics related to forestry and sustainable development between the organisations.
ECTF operates in a flexible way with one or more of its constituent organisations acting in concert as appropriate for a particular contract. It also operates in partnership with other non-member organisations and consultants in situations where external expertise is required.
The organisation is run by a Management Committee with representatives from each partner organisation. The administration, co-ordination and marketing are carried out by the Co-ordinator.
What do we do?
- Facilitate communication, lessons learned and collaboration between the five member organisations
- Promote Edinburgh as a centre of expertise in forestry
- Generate income and business for the member organisation through marketing the strength of ECTF's combined resources, including over 100 professional staff. Staff have undertaken consultancies and research in over 70 developing countries.
Below is a brief summary of the work of members and links to their individual websites.
LTS International Ltd
LTS is an international development consultancy committed to improving the livelihoods of rural poor by supporting the implementation of sustainable natural resource management practices.
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
The Edinburgh station of CEH carries out pure & applied research in: tropical tree biology, genetic improvement, vegetative propagation, physiology and forest ecology including soil ecology, and freshwater ecology.
Forestry Commission
The British Government's state forest service. Education & training for foresters & woodland advisers. Expert advice on forestry policy, strategic planning & all aspects of forest management including computer-based information systems & forest surveys. Pure & applied research in silviculture, tree improvement, forest health, forest environment issues, wildlife & conservation.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's National Botanic Garden. Taxonomic work & surveys of biodiversity for all major plant groups (including fungi); horticulture & plant propagation; courses in horticulture & taxonomy.
The University of Edinburgh
(School of Geo Sciences and School of Social and Political Sciences)
Pure & applied research & education in tropical forest sciences, natural resource management, forestry, agriculture, geographical information systems, social & economic studies.
Project Partners
In the delivery of our short and long-term assignments LTS makes every effort to assemble the best consortium likely to deliver the services in need. In addition to ECTF members we work with a wide array of project partners.
