Can Ireland Deliver Native Woodlands at Scale?

Ireland has just 1% of its native woodlands left. Although the state is currently experiencing significant difficulty delivering its outgoing, and incoming forestry policy, it has in the past facilitated ecologically sound native woodland expansion at landscape scale.

Glengariff Nature Reserve consists of 300 hectares of native woodland, nestled in amongst the Caha mountains rolling down into Bantry Bay.

The state bought most of this land in the fifties and planted non-native conifers. In the seventies, it was acknowledged that this was the wrong course of action. When the conifers matured in the nineties the land was cleared and not replanted. This allowed the old sessile oak woods (seen in the image as a creamy grey colour) to expand... And expand they did.

Most of the expansion occurred through natural regeneration, ie the trees planted themselves. The results can be seen in the light purple colour which are downy Birch, self-seeded after the old conifer plantations were removed. Some sitka spruce stragglers can still be seen.

Although young these birch woods are already taking on a distinctly oceanic appearance, with expected moisture-loving species such as Wilsons filmy fern or the oceanic lichen lungwort.

It's not all good news in Glengarriff though. Parts of the woodland are now under siege from the invasive shrub rhododendron ponticum. Without attention, this plant will eventually suffocate the delicate ground flora, as well as any hope of the woodland regenerating itself in future.

Notwithstanding this, Glengarriff is a real success story and a template for future projects. Ireland has just a handful of woodlands at this scale left. Although it's difficult to get a consensus on where they should go, or how to deliver them, bringing them back should be a priority.