A ‘disappointingly low’ 1 per cent of Ireland is natural, native forest, first study finds [Video]

NATURALLY ESTABLISHED, NATIVE forests that support hundreds of our indigenous species make up just 1% of Ireland’s land area, according to the first study to estimate the extent of these important habitats.

The scientist who led the research at Teagasc, the state agriculture and food development authority, said the amount of “high nature value” forestry identified was “disappointingly low”.

High nature value forestry comprises native trees such as oak and birch that have established naturally or semi-naturally. Examples include oak woodland in Killarney, Co Kerry and wet woodland in the Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow.

Researcher Dr Daire Ó hUallacháin explained that although Ireland’s high nature value forests support hundreds of plants, insects, birds, small mammals, fungi and other species, relatively little was known about the specifics of their extent and distribution – until now.

“We knew the proportion of woodland in the country is small relative to our European counterparts, and we knew that most of the forests that we have are non-native plantations, …