Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in plantation forests Proceedings of the COFORD seminar, 24 October 2002, Cork edited by Lauren MacLennan1 1 COFORD, Technology Transfer Co-ordinator, Agriculture Building, Belfield, Dublin 4. Email: [email protected] COFORD, National Council for Forest Research and Development Agriculture Building Belfield, Dublin 4 Ireland Tel: + 353 1 7167700 Fax: + 353 1 7161180 © COFORD 2004 First published in 2004 by COFORD, National Council for Forest Research and Development, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from COFORD. The views and opinions expressed in this publication belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of COFORD. ISBN 1 902696 35 2 Title: Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in plantation forests. Editor: Lauren MacLennan Citation: MacLennan, L. (editor) 2004. Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in plantation forests. Proceedings of the COFORD Seminar, 24 October 2002, Cork. COFORD, Dublin. iv Biodiversity opportunities in plantations managed for wood supply Biodiversity opportunities in plantations managed for wood supply Orla Fahy2 and Noel Foley3 INTRODUCTION Afforestation Programme (Forest Service 2000a) where the primary objective is wood The Forest Service of the Department of supply. The other main afforestation schemes Communications, Marine and Natural are the Native Woodland Scheme (Forest Resources is the Irish forest authority. Its Service 2001a), the primary objective of which responsibilities include the national forestry is the development of native woodland and its strategy, the Irish National Forest Standard, biodiversity, and the NeighbourWood Scheme development of public and private forestry, (Forest Service 2001b) which places most administration of forestry grants and premiums emphasis on forests as local amenities. and control of tree felling. In 1996 the Forest Service published Growing for the Future - A Strategic Plan for the Development of the THE HISTORY OF FOREST Forestry Sector in Ireland. This states that Irish COVER IN IRELAND forest policy is ‘to develop forestry to a scale and in a manner, which maximises its Deforestation has been a constant feature of contribution to the national economic and social Ireland’s history. By the start of the 20th century well being on a sustainable basis and in a forest cover had reduced to just over 1% of the manner which is compatible with the protection land area. Since that time forest cover has of the environment’ (Department of Agriculture, increased more than six fold, to reach the Food and Forestry 1996). current 680,000 ha or 9.8% of the land area. Most afforestation has occurred post 1950 At present, approximately 680,000 ha or (Figure 1). 9.8% of the total land area of Ireland is under forest (Forest Service pers. comm.). It is Initially, state planting was responsible for estimated that more than 90% of current the increase in forest cover in which land was national forest cover (9% of the land cover) is purchased and afforested. Most of these lands plantation forest. Plantation forests are defined were transferred to Coillte (The Irish Forestry as ‘forest stands established by planting and/or Board) which was established under the 1988 seeding in the process of afforestation or Forestry Act, which gives it a mandate to reforestation. They are either of introduced manage state forests on a commercial basis. species or intensively managed stands of indigenous species which meet all of the Private afforestation was minimal until the following criteria: one or two species at late 1980s when various schemes and CAP plantation, even age class and regular spacing’ reform measures were introduced to encourage (UN-ECE/FAO 2000). private afforestation. As a result, private planting increased from 5% of the total planting The national afforestation target is 20,000 ha in 1984 (Tree Council of Ireland 1999) to over per annum from 2001 to 2030. A major portion 81% in 2000 (Department of Marine and of afforestation to 2006 will be under the Natural Resources 2001) (Figure 2). Individuals Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and institutions have, and have had, many 2 Ecologist, Forest Service, Michael Davitt House, Castlebar, Co Mayo. Email: [email protected] 3 Forest Service, Oliver Plunkett Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Email: [email protected] 1 Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in plantation forests reasons and objectives for establishing ! European Union legislation in the form of plantations. These include amenity and the Birds Directive (1979) and the Habitats landscape as well as planting for game Directive (1992) have mandated the management and establishment of native creation of Special Protection Areas woodlands. However, by far the greater number (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation of plantations has been established to supply (SACs) respectively – known collectively wood as a raw material for the processing as Natura 2000 sites. In addition to these sector. Wood is a renewable and a versatile raw designations, Natural Heritage Areas material and a revenue earner for the landowner. (NHAs) give protection to sites of national importance; IRISH FORESTRY ! Ireland’s National Biodiversity Plan AND BIODIVERSITY (Dúchas 2002) is government policy and devotes considerable attention to forestry; Although this paper focuses on issues relating ! Forest health measures, such as to biodiversity in the design and management of monitoring of imports and of the forest plantation forests where wood production is the estate, ensure that Ireland’s forests remain primary objective, there are other influences on healthy and free from damaging exotic forestry and biodiversity including: pests and diseases; ! Ireland’s obligation to biodiversity having ! EU Directives on Forest Reproductive ratified the Convention on Biological Material govern the collection and Diversity in 1996; FIGURE 1: Forest cover by forest type – 1920 to 2001 (OWL = other wooded land). FIGURE 2: Public and private afforestation from 1920 to 2000. 2 Opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in plantation forests During the information day on the Forestry are scraped clear of all living vegetation every Environmental Guidelines the Chief two years. To Coillte’s credit, they say they Environmental Officer of the Forest Service don't include roads etc. in the open spaces. illustrated how they would impact on a Coillte initially stated they were not bound by theoretical 100-acre diverse conifer site. Fifteen these guidelines, and intended to ‘define’ 15% percent of the site must be identified for of an FMU (Forest Management Unit) as biodiversity, 10% for broadleaves, and 20% of Retained Habitat, arguing it would be the remaining 75% to be planted with diverse uneconomic to plan for 15% biodiversity in conifers. each site. The Forest Service has confirmed to us and Coillte that Coillte do in fact have to In response to the dismay of the Irish abide by the guidelines. Farmers’ Associations delegate who asked : ‘no commercial return from 25% of the site?’ the These days Coillte state that they must be Chief Forestry Inspector, insisted that it wasn't interpreting the biodiversity guidelines as bad as it looks, because it has always been correctly as the Forest Service is passing their assumed that roads, turning bays, ridgelines and Farm Partnership sites. firebreaks have accounted for 15% of the site, Many private contractors planting for and to remember that it is only sites over 10 farmers have told me they feel they are at a hectares that have to conform with the 15% disadvantage as they have to put in 15% ABE ruling, and with the average site at 8 ha this while others are allowed to plant ‘every damn shouldn't be a major concern. inch!’’ I have been shown sites where this does The 1995 Jakko Poyyry report on which the seem to be the case. However, without the maps strategic plan is based recommended that 25% and legends from the application it is of every site should remain unplanted. Dr Susan impossible to work out whether this non- Iremonger, who prepared the Forest compliance with the guidelines is being Biodiversity Guidelines, writes: ‘The point of approved by the Forest Service or the site maps having Nature Conservation Areas is to provide are being ignored when planting. In the absence an area where the trees are allowed to grow old of transparency, we have issued a Freedom of and a forest ecosystem develop, like that of a Information (FOI) request for the maps which natural forest’. She recommended keeping 5% to date have not been made available by the to 10% of each forest as open spaces for the Forest Service. People within the Forest service feeding of birds and bats, and for shrub and herb have made it very clear to me that they do not species that are intolerant to dense shade but can feel NGOs have any right to check on these flourish in the open spaces within a forest. She sites. used the term ‘Nature Areas’. The fact that this An Taisce (Ireland’s oldest and largest was changed to ‘Retained Habitat and Open environmental organisation) has recently been Space’ in the guidelines speaks volumes. She given a monitoring role under the Forest goes on to say ‘Nature Areas are parts of the Service new consent procedures in relation to forest that are not subjected to the same forestry some afforestation applications. This is An operations as the rest of the forest area … they Taisce's assessment of the consent system to should not be logged or subject to other forestry date: the new legislation has a provision for operations and so cannot form part of any consultation with the general public and also commercial broadleaf component of a with prescribed bodies.