This year’s national forestry conference will assess the future role of minor conifer species in Irish forestry from the perspective of the grower and the processor.

Having addressed broadleaves in a previous conference, both the Society of Irish Foresters and the Wood Marketing Federation believe it is timely to explore the potential of minor conifers.

The term minor conifer refers to alternatives to Sitka spruce and includes any conifer that has yield, market and biodiversity potential in Ireland.

Ireland has a limited commercial native tree species palette. Since the demise of ash and elm, Ireland has only three native broadleaves – oak, alder and cherry – and one conifer – Scots pine – with commercial potential.

Small wonder then that Irish foresters looked elsewhere for alternative broadleaves and conifers, beginning in European forests.

Broadleaves such as beech, sycamore and Spanish chestnut were introduced over the centuries, while conifers such as Norway spruce and European larch were more recent introductions.

However, Irish foresters began to look beyond Europe over 100 years ago and focused their search for tree species to areas of the globe with similar latitudes to Ireland.

For a start, the plant collector, botanist and forester Augustine Henry believed that the search for commercial tree species needed to be widened. He and others explored the northwestern corner of another continent with a maritime climate, which they believed would provide a species selection better suited to Irish conditions than mainland Europe.

Henry maintained that the Irish climate had greater similarities with the Pacific northwest than continental Europe and encouraged seed collection from this area. He said: “Prejudice should not exclude foreign trees; the question is whether they will grow as well as forest trees.”

Arthur Charles Forbes put Henry’s theories to the test by establishing a series of experimental plots in Avondale from 1905 until 1912. In all, some 40 native, naturalised and exotic species were planted.

As the State forestry programme unfolded, the performance of exotics in Avondale and in newly established forests supported Henry’s view. Not only were these trees thriving in the Irish climate, they were performing well on soils of poor fertility.

Within a few years, species selection shifted from predominantly European species to exotics from western North America, including Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine and, to a lesser extent, Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar.

Sitka spruce was the standout species from this list and it continues to be a major species in Irish forestry in terms of yield, site adaptability and market benefits.

However, overreliance on one species has led to a one-dimensional forestry sector and could place the industry at risk, especially in relation to possible future disease damage to Sitka.

The May 31 forestry conference will explore conifer alternatives to Sitka spruce. The following conifers have adapted with varying degrees of success to Irish soil and climatic conditions:

  • Native – Scots pine.
  • European – Norway spruce, Corsican pine, European larch and European silver fir.
  • West and western North America – Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, western red cedar, western hemlock, Monterey pine, grand fir, Lawson cypress, grand fir and coast redwood.
  • Japan – Japanese larch.
  • Based on planting programmes and forest trials, it is likely that conference speakers will reduce this list to Scots pine, Norway spruce, Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock and Monterey pine, with hybrid larch substituting for European and Japanese larch, which are susceptible to larch canker and Phytophthora ramorum respectively.

    Lodgepole pine, once a prominent species in low-nutrient sites including blanket bogs, is rarely planted today, as better-quality sites are being made available for afforestation.

    The challenge is to choose the best minor species that will adapt to Irish climatic and site conditions and that show market potential both domestically and internationally.

    In this regard, less may be more, with the emphasis on establishing two or three of the best species in our afforestation programme to provide economies of scale in order to maximise the potential of our best minor conifers.

    The May conference is likely to provide a fascinating glimpse into the future of minor conifers, beginning with Minister Doyle’s keynote address.

    Species diversity

    Proponents of tree species diversity in Ireland point to our excessively high reliance on conifers. However, compared with most European countries, Ireland’s reliance on conifers is not excessive. Approximately 74% of Irish forests comprise conifers, which is either lower or on par with countries such as Sweden (80%), Finland (89%) and Austria (75%), but higher than the UK (56%), Estonia (54%) and Germany (58%).

    Within the conifer range, Sitka spruce dominates Irish forestry, but at 52% of the forest area or 4.5% of the land area, it is not as dominant as often assumed. In addition, it is not unusual for countries with high percentages of conifers to rely on one or two species. Sweden and Austria rely heavily on Norway spruce, while pine dominates Finland’s forests. However, most of these countries have built a wide range of industries around broadleaf (hardwood) and minor conifer (softwood) species over the generations, as they have traditional expertise and critical mass. For example, while Finland has only 10% birch forests, it has a major veneer industry, as birch forests cover 2.3 million hectares in a country with 75% forest cover, compared with Ireland’s 11%.

    The upcoming forestry conference concentrates on minor conifers and the objective is similar to the hardwood conference in 2015.

    Gerry Dolan of Glennon Brothers will address the challenge from the sawmilling perspective and will emphasise the need to increase our planting programme and concentrate on three or four species to achieve critical mass over time.

    President of the Society of Irish Foresters Gerry Murphy and chair of the Wood Marketing Federation Paul Harvey agree that it is essential that growers, researchers and timber processors combine to assess the future of minor conifers in Ireland.

    “Too often in Irish forestry, there is a disconnect between the grower and the marketplace,” maintained Harvey. “We need to look at conifers in relation to durability, usage and other qualities they will bring to our forests and the forest products industry,” he said. “As the effects of climate change become increasingly apparent, it is predicted that our forests will experience greater risks from both biotic and abiotic factors such as disease, drought and windthrow,” said Murphy.

    Conference lineup

    The National Forestry Conference, Minor Conifers in Ireland takes place in Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co Meath, on Wednesday, 31 May. Speakers include:

  • Andrew Doyle, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, will provide the keynote address on the future of minor conifers in Ireland.
  • John Redmond, Forest Service – an assessment of Ireland’s minor conifer forest inventory.
  • Dr Niall Farrelly, Teagasc – what’s performing best. Results of research trials and case studies.
  • Marina Conway, Western Forestry Co-operative – the forester’s view.
  • Paul McClean, Forestry Commission – UK and international perspective; silviculture of minor conifers in Britain.
  • Gerry Dolan, Forestry Manager, Glennon Bros – as the sawmiller sees it – developing economies of scale and potential markets for minor conifers.
  • Dr Dan Ridley-Ellis, Edinburg Napier University – timber properties of minor conifer species in Britain and future marketing opportunities.
  • Gordon Knaggs, consultant, Gordon Knaggs and Associates and Fellow of the Institute of Wood Science – minor conifers: past and future.
  • Registration fee €80 includes morning coffee, interval refreshments, lunch and conference book. Details from Society of Irish Foresters, Glenealy, Co Wicklow; email info@soif.ie or phone 086-258-2240.