Conifer plantations 'detrimental' to red squirrel, study shows

Native woodland containing natural predators is key to the conservation of red squirrels.

Conservation of the red squirrel in Ireland needs a rethink, with conifer plantations likely to have a damaging impact on its survival, research has found.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of St Andrew’s found that contrary to what has been claimed, native woodland containing natural predators is key to red squirrels, not conifer plantations.

Environmental campaigners have become increasingly critical in recent years about the likes of non-native Sitka spruce plantations across Ireland, claiming they are detrimental overall to biodiversity, whereas supporters of non-native plants claim they support life within.

The researchers in this project enlisted

Ulster Wildlife and citizen scientists, using camera traps to survey over 700 sites across the North over five years to observe red squirrels, grey squirrels, and pine martens.

The results found that in native woodland, the pine marten, a type of cat-sized weasel, keeps the grey squirrel numbers in check to the benefit of red squirrels, but in conifer plantations, the red squirrel is under bigger threat from the weasel predator.

Opposite impact

Joshua P Twining, lead author from Queen’s University Belfast, said the results show that the current national red squirrel conservation strategies that favour non-native confer plantations are likely to have the opposite impact to what is intended. 

"Timber plantations are often promoted as being beneficial to red squirrel conservation, but our results show that they will have a detrimental effect on the species in the future," he said.

Chris Sutherland, from the University of St Andrews, said the research demonstrates the enormous value of large scale data collected through public participation. 

"Combining this data with state-of-the-art analytical techniques has generated important conservation insights that until now have been overlooked.” 

Ireland has among the lowest forest cover in Europe and most is non-native timber plantations, the researchers said.