Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2018
471. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the species of tree used for reafforestation after clear-fell in each of the years 2007 to 2017 in terms of hectares planted; the way in which the higher stocking rate for broadleaf trees compared to conifers compensates for the failure to achieve the broadleaf tree targets.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39501/18]
View answerCurrently there are no targets in place for a broadleaf tree planting at the reforestation stage of the forest cycle which takes place following clearfell. In the Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020 a target was set to plant 30% of the area of new forests created annually with broadleaf tree species. The higher stocking rate associated with planting broadleaf trees does not compensate for lower levels of broadleaf tree planting as comparisons are made on an area basis and not on the number of trees planted. In practical terms, a hectare of land planted with 2,500 conifer trees carries the same weight as a hectare of land planted with 3,300 broadleaf trees.
Detailed annual information is not available the years 2007 to 2017. However the third National Forest Inventory completed in 2017 provides the following information on species composition in reforestation sites that are 10 years old and younger. The re-stocking species and figures are contained in the table.
Reforestation re-stocking species
|
Species |
Area (ha) |
Percent Area (%) |
|
Sitka spruce |
36,660 |
60.7 |
|
Norway spruce |
557 |
0.9 |
|
birch spp. |
5,340 |
8.9 |
|
Scots pine |
16 |
0.0 |
|
other pines |
7,939 |
13.2 |
|
Douglas fir |
3 |
0.0 |
|
alder |
1,370 |
2.3 |
|
larch spp. |
1,378 |
2.3 |
|
ash |
1,432 |
2.4 |
|
beech |
66 |
0.1 |
|
sycamore |
156 |
0.3 |
|
sessile & pedunculate oak |
600 |
1.0 |
|
other conifers |
3 |
0.0 |
|
Other short living broadleaves |
3,698 |
6.1 |
|
Other long living broadleaves |
1,085 |
1.8 |
|
Total |
60,302 |
100 |
