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Project title

Forestry and Environment Impacts Addressing Water Quality and Biodiversity - Investigation of Experimental Methods to Enhance Biodiversity in Plantation Forests

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD)

Lead Applicant

Susan Iremonger

Project Abstract

Republic of Ireland published a strategic plan for the forest sector (DAFF 1996) which involved increasing the forest cover dramatically. Ireland is one of the least forested countries in Europe even though forestry plantations have increased forest cover from less than 1% of land cover to about 10% in the last century. The new plan aims to increase this to 17% by 2030 mainly by planting new commercial forests at approximately 20000ha per year. This increase represents a huge change in land use and land cover across Ireland and has far-reaching economic social and ecological consequences.The most widely planted species in these commercial forests is Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) a non-native conifer and many forest industries are associated with this species. Having changed some funding policies in the late 1990s to promote the use of broadleaves in plantations the planting of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) increased significantly and broadleaves now constitute 20% of new plantings.In order to promote forest biodiversity and fully practice Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) it is necessary to know what organisms are associated with the forest plantations and what the manager should be aiming at. A multitude of questions needed to be answered from the most basic: what organisms are living in or associated with the plantations; what are the differences between these and the flora and fauna of native/semi-natural forests to the more complex: has afforestation improved the general biodiversity of the area; what effect does previous habitat type have on the diversity of the developing forest; what policies and practices support the creation and maintenance of the most diverse plantations. Until very recently very little was known about the ecology of these forests and their associated flora and fauna: ecologists were more likely to investigate natural land cover types than these more artificial ones. Irelandis native and semi-natural forests are very different ecologically to most forestry plantations. The former are generally dominated by a broadleaf mix and are not clearfelled at commercial maturity whereas the latter have traditionally been dominated by a non-native conifer monoculture on a clearfelling cycle of 35-55 years.

Grant Approved

�205,610.00

Research Hub

Natural Environment

Research Theme

Sectoral Impacts on Biodiversity

Start Date

01/10/2002

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a