The Emerald Isle we know and love is still green and a quick look at images of Ireland from above will pay testament to that to this day but her forestry is another matter…. As we noted before, in :. These worrying observations coupled with the fact that Ireland produced 2. Dr Fraser Mitchell of the botany department of Trinity College is an expert on these matters.
The talk will begin at 8 p. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Where have all the forests gone? Tue, Mar 7, , Most Viewed. Watch More Videos. Since January , parts of the Northern Black Forest have been under special protection. It's Germany's smallest national park, but that doesn't diminish its beauty.
After repeated human intervention in this habitat, its flora and fauna are being a given a chance to recover. The cultivated pine forests are gradually being replaced with deciduous trees such as beech and birch.
An alluvial forest is considered an important part of a riverscape. Regular flooding provides a unique habitat for flora and fauna, as it does here on the Elbe in the state of Brandenburg.
This low mountain range is not just one of the largest forested areas in Germany. It's also one of the most popular. As early as , the writer Heinrich Heine devoted a travelogue to it. In the middle of the Harz is the Brocken, whose summit is many a hiker's destination. In addition, many animal and plant species live in these mixed forests, among them this endangered Brocken anemone.
It's home to many rare animal species, such as the European wildcat. Here, too, some habitats, such as moist and marshy meadow valleys, woodlands and streams, are still almost in their original state. They lend the countryside a mystical quality.
A range of low wooded mountains on the border between Hesse and Bavaria, the Spessart was once used as a hunting ground by aristocrats and archbishops. The 19th-century bands of brigands there are also legendary. Wilhelm Hauff immortalized them in his novella "The Inn in the Spessart" in Over 70 billion land animals are slaughtered globally per year, with dire consequences for the environment. Meat eaters Neil King and Gabriel Borrud face uncomfortable truths as they seek ways out of the meat paradox.
Rukam's residents thought selling their land to a palm oil company would bring wealth, but the environment has suffered. Based on what we know so far, has this year's conference been all blah blah blah? At this time, the Government established a new state body, Coillte Teoranta to manage the states forests and ownership of those forests were transferred to this new company.
Following Irelands entry into the EEC now the EU in , serious efforts were made to increase the level of afforestation by private landowners. The first scheme introduced was the Western Package in and it offered grants for the planting of forests on lands marginal for agriculture but suitable for forestry. It proved initially slow to take off but had gained momentum by This increase in private afforestation coincided with a decrease in state afforestation.
The state with the continued financial assistance from the European Union, introduced further forestry grant schemes over the succeeding years and the level of afforestation by private landowners increase significantly, peaking in when almost 43, acres were planted.
Since then, despite the availability of generous grants and annual premiums to private landowners, the rate of afforestation has declined, falling to 17, acres in This was principally due to soaring agricultural land prices and competing EU agricultural schemes.
Currently Ireland has a total forest cover of approximately 1,, acres equivalent to This is very much on the lower end of the spectrum when compared with other European countries. There is no doubt the Ireland entry into the EU has had a positive impact on forestry development in Ireland both in terms of afforestation and subsequent processing of raw materials. The disadvantages however are the strict environmental compliance required to qualify for such incentives, with the protection of biodiversity now playing a much greater role.
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