Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2017
416. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the latest research that has been conducted by the Forest Service into the climate adaptability of commercial and native tree species in view of ongoing climate change threats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40371/17]
View answerMy Department has provided funding on these issues through a call for research proposals. One project called FORM is concerned with improving productivity and resistance in key native and commercial species. Improved sitka spruce will be developed through a breeding programme and ash with tolerance to ash dieback disease will be investigated by locating tolerant genotypes within existing trials in Europe.
CLIMADAPT is a completed project and involves a web-based decision support system (DSS) based on an ecological site classification model developed specifically for Irish forestry. The objective is to provide a free DSS for forest managers and policy makers, using soil and climatic information that can be used to assess species suitability and yield for individual sites under current and future climate change scenarios.
Finally, through the COFORD Council (2015-2018) a working group on forest genetic resources has also been convened which aims to outline a strategy for the development, conservation, and deployment of forest genetic resource material.
