Annual broadleaved afforestation has increased dramatically in Ireland since the 1980s due mainly to the availability of better quality land along with attractive grants and premia.
For much of the last century, broadleaves comprised only 5% of annual afforestation programmes. By 1998, this had increased to 19%, reaching 37% by 2009 to 2011 and dropping back to 31% last year.
The conifer versus broadleaf debate, once a controversial issue in Irish forestry, has been replaced by an objective assessment of the role of broadleaves. Most private forest owners have planted some broadleaves over the past decade with varying results.
Conifers, such as Sitka spruce, still dominate planting programmes because they are easy to establish and provide a return on investment within the premium period.
Ash was the only species that could compete with conifers but since the outbreak of ash dieback, it is now precluded from the Forest Service afforestation grant scheme. It is likely that ash is being replaced by conifers on some sites, which is one of the reasons broadleaved planting has decreased since late last year.
Most broadleaves planted in Ireland are native, mainly comprising oak — pedunculate and sessile — alder and birch. Non-native but naturalised broadleaves such as beech, sycamore, sweet chestnut and Norway maple, although still planted, have fallen out of favour, especially since the Native Woodland Scheme was introduced.
While private plantation owners — now mainly farmers — plant broadleaves for ecological and aesthetic reasons, the main objective is to eventually harvest a timber crop. Ash ticked all the boxes in this regard, providing firewood and wood energy crops as early as 15 years, hurleys from 25 to 35 years and furniture and other uses from 35 years to final harvest.
The three remaining species — oak, birch and alder — are much more limited, especially in relation to providing quality timber crops within reasonable rotations.
In this regard the launch of A Future with Broadleaved Trees by Tom Hayes, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, is a welcome development.
The overall aim of the strategy is to improve the quality of broadleaved trees, or hardwoods, in Britain and Ireland.
Strategy
The strategy has been drafted by the Future Trees Trust, a British/Irish collaborative body, which includes the Minister’s own Department and Teagasc.
“My Department welcomes A Future with Broadleaved Trees and having well-adapted and high quality broadleaf planting stock is fundamental to any national afforestation programme,” said Minister Hayes.
“We all know that growing broadleaves tends to be a long-term business, but it has an objective of producing high quality wood products. Having the right planting stock on day one is a key element in successful broadleaf planting.”
Produced jointly by Future Trees Trust, Earth Trust and Forest Research, the strategy involved input from 65 bodies, including contributions from 19 organisations in Ireland.
While this is a long-term project, there is an urgency about the strategy given the vulnerability of ash and our limited tree species palette in Ireland. “Chalara ash dieback has concentrated the minds of many involved in forestry,” the report claims.
“The number of pests and diseases that can threaten our broadleaved woodlands is likely to increase as a consequence of increased global trade and a current widespread use of imported saplings.”
There are economic advantages in planting broadleaves as Britain and Ireland import around 95% of the hardwood timber used. The emphasis is on productivity and ‘producing high genetic diversity within tree species to develop more resilient populations’ to provide resistance in future to diseases such as ash dieback.
The strategy states: “Trees can be selectively bred to produce higher timber yields, making them more economically viable and, therefore, more attractive to anyone planting trees for timber.”
The report believes that the most sustainable long-term strategy to safeguard broadleaved trees ‘is to use the high genetic diversity within tree species to develop more resilient populations’. The strategy has nine targets including:
Research: to increase the number of species selected and bred for improved productivity and maintenance of genetic diversity and to increase the amount of improved seed available for native and introduced broadleaves.Awareness: to increase the number and quality of management seed stands. Ultimately, the strategy plans to build on the success of conifer tree improvement programmes carried out in Ireland and Britain.
Tree improvement programmes are carried out in Ireland and Britain for ash, birch, cherry, oak, sweet chestnut, sycamore and walnut. As ash is no longer planted only three of these species are native – oak, birch and cherry – so alder may need to be introduced as it is now widely planted here. Maybe, it’s time also to look at non-native but naturalised broadleaves including beech, a species favoured by Minister Hayes.
Annual broadleaved afforestation has increased dramatically in Ireland since the 1980s due mainly to the availability of better quality land along with attractive grants and premia.
For much of the last century, broadleaves comprised only 5% of annual afforestation programmes. By 1998, this had increased to 19%, reaching 37% by 2009 to 2011 and dropping back to 31% last year.
The conifer versus broadleaf debate, once a controversial issue in Irish forestry, has been replaced by an objective assessment of the role of broadleaves. Most private forest owners have planted some broadleaves over the past decade with varying results.
Conifers, such as Sitka spruce, still dominate planting programmes because they are easy to establish and provide a return on investment within the premium period.
Ash was the only species that could compete with conifers but since the outbreak of ash dieback, it is now precluded from the Forest Service afforestation grant scheme. It is likely that ash is being replaced by conifers on some sites, which is one of the reasons broadleaved planting has decreased since late last year.
Most broadleaves planted in Ireland are native, mainly comprising oak — pedunculate and sessile — alder and birch. Non-native but naturalised broadleaves such as beech, sycamore, sweet chestnut and Norway maple, although still planted, have fallen out of favour, especially since the Native Woodland Scheme was introduced.
While private plantation owners — now mainly farmers — plant broadleaves for ecological and aesthetic reasons, the main objective is to eventually harvest a timber crop. Ash ticked all the boxes in this regard, providing firewood and wood energy crops as early as 15 years, hurleys from 25 to 35 years and furniture and other uses from 35 years to final harvest.
The three remaining species — oak, birch and alder — are much more limited, especially in relation to providing quality timber crops within reasonable rotations.
In this regard the launch of A Future with Broadleaved Trees by Tom Hayes, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, is a welcome development.
The overall aim of the strategy is to improve the quality of broadleaved trees, or hardwoods, in Britain and Ireland.
Strategy
The strategy has been drafted by the Future Trees Trust, a British/Irish collaborative body, which includes the Minister’s own Department and Teagasc.
“My Department welcomes A Future with Broadleaved Trees and having well-adapted and high quality broadleaf planting stock is fundamental to any national afforestation programme,” said Minister Hayes.
“We all know that growing broadleaves tends to be a long-term business, but it has an objective of producing high quality wood products. Having the right planting stock on day one is a key element in successful broadleaf planting.”
Produced jointly by Future Trees Trust, Earth Trust and Forest Research, the strategy involved input from 65 bodies, including contributions from 19 organisations in Ireland.
While this is a long-term project, there is an urgency about the strategy given the vulnerability of ash and our limited tree species palette in Ireland. “Chalara ash dieback has concentrated the minds of many involved in forestry,” the report claims.
“The number of pests and diseases that can threaten our broadleaved woodlands is likely to increase as a consequence of increased global trade and a current widespread use of imported saplings.”
There are economic advantages in planting broadleaves as Britain and Ireland import around 95% of the hardwood timber used. The emphasis is on productivity and ‘producing high genetic diversity within tree species to develop more resilient populations’ to provide resistance in future to diseases such as ash dieback.
The strategy states: “Trees can be selectively bred to produce higher timber yields, making them more economically viable and, therefore, more attractive to anyone planting trees for timber.”
The report believes that the most sustainable long-term strategy to safeguard broadleaved trees ‘is to use the high genetic diversity within tree species to develop more resilient populations’. The strategy has nine targets including:
Research: to increase the number of species selected and bred for improved productivity and maintenance of genetic diversity and to increase the amount of improved seed available for native and introduced broadleaves.Awareness: to increase the number and quality of management seed stands. Ultimately, the strategy plans to build on the success of conifer tree improvement programmes carried out in Ireland and Britain.
Tree improvement programmes are carried out in Ireland and Britain for ash, birch, cherry, oak, sweet chestnut, sycamore and walnut. As ash is no longer planted only three of these species are native – oak, birch and cherry – so alder may need to be introduced as it is now widely planted here. Maybe, it’s time also to look at non-native but naturalised broadleaves including beech, a species favoured by Minister Hayes.
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