Conference will reveal vital assessment of our forests
The location and extent of most forests is known, and Coillte maintains an inventory of its forests.
However, Ireland has about 315,000 hectares of privately owned forest, and the composition and condition of much of this is not known.
The Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Food started the essential task of assessing the national forest estate in 2004.
This task was completed on schedule last November and, following data processing and analysis, the results will be announced at Portlaoise.
According to Mary Wallace, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, “This information is essential to facilitate the sustainable development of our forests.”
“The conference is open to all,” she said.
While it will be of particular interest to those directly involved in the sector, the approach taken, the technology applied, and the range of findings which have resulted, would make it attractive to a very wide audience.
More information on the conference and full registration details are posted on the Forest Service web page (www.agriculture.gov.ie/nfi) or can be obtained from The Forest Service, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co Wexford.
Ireland’s forest estate was recently estimated at 700,000 hectares, of which about 45% is privately owned and 55% in the ownership of Coillte Teoranta.
For the inventory, about 2,050 forest plots were selected at random for information collection from tree top to the soil underneath.
For example, information was collected on tree growth and development, with particular emphasis on disease or pests, and on plants and animals present in the plot. Soil type and drainage information were also recorded.
