Coillte is Ireland’s largest and most experienced integrated Forestry Company. We are involved in all aspects of timber production from the sourcing of seed, the production of quality nursery stock, planting, maintenance, harvesting and marketing. Our subsidiary company Smartply Europe limited is the largest processor of pulpwood in the country. As the largest landowners on the island of Ireland, we have a presence in every parish offering employment locally, where other traditional jobs are diminishing.
IS MY LAND SUITABLE FOR TREES? Not all sites are suitable for planting. The land to be planted must
• be in agricultural use prior to planting,
• not be part of an existing or proposed NHA (Natural Heritage Area) or an SAC (Special Area of Conservation), or an SPA (Special Protection Area),
• conform to Forest Service environmental and planning guidelines (See Planning and Environmental issues),
• have soil suitable for growing trees, in particular the pH or lime level can restrict the species which may be planted or render the area unsuitable for planting. This is common in midland areas and generally means that a Forest Soils Test will be required.…
Ground Cultivation Methods The most important reason for cultivating ground prior to planting is to provide a suitable planting medium for the trees. Soil-type, slope and drainage conditions will dictate the most suitable method of cultivation.
Good quality planting stock is critical to the successful establishment of your future plantation. For this reason you should always check your plants to ensure that they conform to your requirements and to a high quality standard..
Maintenance should start on all sites once the trees are planted. Key tasks include operations such as weed control, replacing tree losses and ensuring that the crop remains healthy and vigorous. All young plantations should be maintained so that:
The most commonly planted broadleaved trees in Ireland are ash, sycamore, oak and beech. The lower section of the trunk is the most valuable part of these trees. This is the portion of the tree, which yields the greatest financial return. Particular attention should be paid to stem quality over the first 4 years during which time stem height is likely to reach between 2.0 to 4.0 metres. A quality stem in a young broadleaved tree is one which is straight and unforked, with no particularly heavy branches distorting it.
ish forests are among the healthiest in Europe with relatively few serious forest pests and diseases. This is mainly due to our island status, the relative newness of the forest estate and the enforcement of plant health regulations. The increasing movement between countries of plant material and wood products such as logs, sawn timbers, pallets, packing cases and ship’s dunnage increases the risk of spread of potentially very damaging forest pests and diseases. The threat to Irish forests is best illustrated by the damage caused by Dutch Elm Disease which was introduced into Ireland and which has devastated our elm tree population. It is vital that our increasingly valuable forest estate is protected from similar exotic threats.
Nutrient Deficiencies The nutrient requirements of trees are low in comparison to most agricultural crops. However, sufficient nutrients must be continuously available to achieve good growth rates and high yields. As trees develop, the need for fertiliser will depend on the soil type and tree species planted. Trees growing on infertile peaty or mineral soils may display symptoms of nutrient deficiency after a number of years. These deficiencies can occur despite correct fertiliser application at planting time. It is important to walk your plantation and monitor trees regularly for any of the following:
Many areas of land throughout the countryside contain existing degraded woodland or scrub which have received little or no management in the past. Such areas may be eligible for grant aid under one of the Forest Service schemes.
Thinning increases the total volume yield of usable timber over the lifetime of the crop and provides an intermediate source of timber and revenue before clearfelling. Before making the decision on whether to thin the plantation, a qualified forester should be employed to assess the crop. The decision to thin is dependent on a number of factors: species and age, ground conditions, degree of access, availability of markets, suitable machinery and skilled labour.
-The current emphasis on biodiversity or nature conservation arises from global concerns for the quality of our environment. The word “biodiversity” is a combination of the words “biological” and “diversity”, and refers to the range of plant and animal species that live on this planet.
Sustainable Forest Management
Why and who benefits?
Over the past number of years, there has been a steady increase in the number and complexity of rules and regulations with regard to forest plantations in Ireland. Many farmers regard these regulations as a disincentive to setting up a farm forest enterprise. Why then are these regulations in place?
The Forest Service of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is the State body with overall responsibility for forestry in Ireland. The Forest Service oversees the spending of EU financial supports for forestry. It is also responsible for the promotion of private forestry, for forest protection, control of felling and the promotion of research in forestry and forest produce.
IS MY LAND SUITABLE FOR TREES? Not all sites are suitable for planting. The land to be planted must
• be in agricultural use prior to planting,
• not be part of an existing or proposed NHA (Natural Heritage Area) or an SAC (Special Area of Conservation), or an SPA (Special Protection Area),
• conform to Forest Service environmental and planning guidelines (See Planning and Environmental issues),
• have soil suitable for growing trees, in particular the pH or lime level can restrict the species which may be planted or render the area unsuitable for planting. This is common in midland areas and generally means that a Forest Soils Test will be required. A Forestry Consultant or Company Forester generally carries out the sampling for this test.
Other issues such as soil fertility, acid sensitivity and access must also be considered
• Water sampling will need to be carried out where proposed planting sites fall into areas designated as acid sensitive by the Dept of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
• The land will also need to be of sufficient fertility to produce a commercial tree crop. The Forest Service do not approve sites which are not capable of producing the equivalent of Yield Class 14 Sitka spruce. This means that some poorer sites such as peats or very exposed hillsides with shallow soil, would not be approved for planting.
• Access to the plantation must also be considered at this stage. It is important to make provision now for timber to be extracted at a later date.
Planning Before work starts, it is important to plan the layout of the site. Access for machinery around the site after planting is vital. Many operations such as spraying and distribution of materials through the site are carried out using quad bikes or small tractors. It is easy to make provision for these at the planning stage. Management tracks and headlands should be left unplanted through the site so that trees can be accessed by machinery without crossing too many drains. These tracks should be laid down so that some of them may be suitable to develop as forest roads at a later stage. For difficult sites, it may be possible to get grant aid for a development road at the afforestation stage. Fire-lines should also be cleared on boundaries where there is a risk of fire. Vegetation such as gorse, heather and white grass is considered to be high fire risk while grassland is low risk.
The design of the plantation should also be taken into account. As the trees grow, so will their impact on the landscape. This impact can be positive if some thought is put into introducing small groups of other species and softening the edges of plantations by planting irregularly shaped areas of broadleaf trees.
Areas for Biodiversity Enhancement (ABEs) Afforestation projects that are greater than 10 hectares in size must include areas for Biodiversity Enhancement comprising 15 % of the total area. These areas can include open spaces (eg headlands, tracks, riverbanks), retained habitats, scrub and existing trees. A minimum broadleaf species component is required.
Drainage Proper drainage is vital to ensure that the crop does not suffer windthrow as a result of water-logging. Where drainage is not adequate rooting development is restricted leading to poor tree growth and insufficient anchorage. Inadequate drainage is difficult and costly to rectify at a later stage. Silt traps must be opened on all outlet drains to stop silt getting into waterways. Fisheries Guidelines must be followed at all times. On low-lying land with poor drainage outlets, the Forest Service may require a drainage survey to be undertaken prior to approval.
