Tap Forum

The field of tree and vine establishment by using shelters is in constant development both on the shelters designs and on their use in specific climatic and microclimatic conditions, trees, etc. As the knowledge advances, more questions are asked and answered. The TAP Forum has been designed to channel these questions to the experts.

  • If you have a question you would like to ask any of our TAP members then please email TAP@tubex.com.

The Technical Advisory Panel (TAP)

The Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) has been created to provide independent, scientific and technological expert advice to Tubex. The general and ultimate objective of the TAP is to advance the science and technology of tree and vine shelters.

Tubex aims at continuing to develop high performance products that provide the series of benefits enjoyed by its customers while minimising the impacts on the environment. It is imperative that we respond to both changing customer needs and new scientific and technological discoveries.

Mr Graham Tuley
Retired forester from the UK Forestry Commission and inventor of the treeshelter

Graham’s work on tree shelters has won him international recognition and many awards. Perhaps the most remarkable honour was the selection of the treeshelter as one of the 100 best inventions in the first International Inventors Award. Organised by the Swedish Inventors Association in 1986 the aim of the award was to recognise technical innovations that helped solve social and economic problems. Graham and his wife Margot enjoy life in Scotland. In fact, Graham has been fully converted into a Scot adopting the kilt and its traditional accessories as normal everyday clothing. Graham keeps his interests in forestry alive by closely looking after a piece of land and its trees.

Mr. Boris Liovic
 Croatian Forest Research Institute

Awarded with a BSc degree in Forestry and MSc degree in Biotechnology, Mr Liovic’s expertise includes integrated forest protection, reforestation and afforestation. A spell in the Forest Research Station in Hamden, USA, gave him experience in biological forest protection. Mr Liovic is member of the Croatian Forestry Society and of the Ecological and Plant Protection Societies. With more than 20 years of experience with treeshelters in continental European climates, Mr Liovic has published several papers on treeshelters in Croatian and international refereed journals.

Dr. Anton Hammer
 Retired forester and ex-President of the German Forestry Association

Dr. Anton Hammer, a master of science, managed the largest community forest in Germany for 24 years. One of his greatest challenges was reafforestation after the disastrous storm "Lothar" in 2000. It was during this time that he came across the advantages of treeshelters. His current interest is to combine sylvicultural economics and conservation requirements to provide practical solutions. He and his wife live in Baden-Baden at the foothills of the Black Forest.

Dr Kerry Franklin
 Royal Society University Research Fellow at School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University

Kerry’s current research focuses on understanding the signalling processes controlling plant architectural adaptations to light and temperature stimuli, and investigating the adaptive significance of different developmental strategies. Her recent findings provide the first major advance in understanding how plants regulate growth responses to elevated temperature at the molecular level. This knowledge will prove fundamental in understanding the effects of global climate change on crop productivity.

Dr Christian Dupraz
 Research Director at French National Institute for Agricultural Research

A chief engineer in Rural Engineering, Waters and Forests, Dr Dupraz is a world expert in agroforestry. In the early 1990’s, his fundamental studies on the mechanisms of tree growth led to the design of better and more efficient treeshelters. The studies culminated in the invention of the patented Tubex ventilated treeshelter known as “Ventex” or “Equilibre”.

Professor Norman Billingham
Department of Chemistry, University of Sussex

During his long career in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sussex, Professor Billingham studied characterisation and degradation of polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene . His expertise includes the study of polyolefin degradation under the action of oxodegradation catalysts.

Dr Cris Arnold
 Senior Lecturer at Department of Materials, School of Engineering, University of Wales

As a senior lecturer in the School of Engineering at the University of Wales, Swansea Dr Chris Arnold's interest is in the environment and sustainable materials, polymers and composites. An expert across a range of research areas including materials science, biocomposites, degradation of polymers, and life cycle analysis, Dr Arnold has just the right knowledge and experience to feed the TAP.