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Forestry & Energy REVIEW Volume 10 Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2020 Price €4.95. £4.50 (Stg)

THE VOICE OF FORESTRY & RENEWABLE ENERGY

MINISTER HACKETT Future Vision for Forestry Sector

TONY DAVIS (CONTRACTOR) Forestry: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

SITKA SPRUCE IMPROVEMENT Application of Genomics for Tree Improvement

>> SEE PAGE 20

>> SEE PAGE 26

>> SEE PAGE 44

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Foreword/Contents/Credits

Forestry & Energy REVIEW Volume 10 Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2020

Features 10 Iarnród Éireann, first to get approval to plant under the new ‘Woodland Creation on Public Lands’ scheme Iarnrod Eireann adopting best practice to achieve decarbonisation goals for Ireland.

14 Small Diameter Alder Research

28 Foreword

elcome to the Autumn/Winter Edition of Forestry & Energy Review Magazine. We are living through difficult times in the Commercial Forestry Sector at present. We believe that, if Covid 19 was not present much more focus would be placed on these issues in Government circles. With this in mind we asked Minister Hackett to write an article outlining her vision for the Forestry Sector. She duly obliged and the article is reproduced word for word starting on page 20. On receipt of the article, we were mildly concerned at the lack of focus in the piece on the Commercial Forestry Sector and asked for further clarification. We have published the response here: “Minister Hackett has made it very clear that she sees a continued role for the commercial forestry sector as part of Publisher: Denis Lane Tel. + 353 91 777222 Email: dlane@dawnmedia.ie Production: Hugh Lane Shauna Quinn Contributors: Noel Kennedy Teagasc Ciaran Nugent DAFM Marie Doyle UCD Edwin Corrigan UCD Charles Harper UCD Ciaran Walsh UCD

Danie McInerney UCD Brian Tobin UCD Giovanni Pastore UCD Maarten Nieuwenhuis UCD Tom Kent WIT Arthur Byrne ESB Tom Houlihan Teagasc Michael Somers Teagasc John Casey Teagasc Richard Walsh Teagasc Jonathan Spazzi Teagasc Dr. Ian Short Teagasc Dr. James Moran GMIT Dr. Daire Ó hUallacháin UCD Dr. John Finn UCD

Research at Teagasc and GMIT is currently underway investigating the working properties and potential exploitation of small diameter alder, an undervalued, plentiful native hardwood. Writes Colin Marren.

20 - Minister Hackett outlines future vision for Forestry Sector

In an article specifically for Forestry & Energy Review the Minister seeks to allay the fears of the Commercial Forestry Sector while acknowledging that we are operating in a fast changing environment.

26 The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Tony Davis, a contractor from Mayo briefly outlines his journey of life through forestry and it’s benefits.

28 What now for ash? the forestry mix, particularly given the downstream benefits of this type of forestry for timber production, energy production and the rural economy” Many of us are feeling first hand the financial strain visited upon us by the actions of others outside of our control. We sincerely hope that the Minister is both willing and able to stand by these commitments, and that further actions will be taken if necessary…….. very many livelihoods depend on it. Hoping you all Keep safe during these challenging times. We trust you enjoy reading this publication which will continue to provide a voice for the Forestry and Energy sectors. The Publisher Forestry & Energy Review John O’Connell LTWO Jonathan Sykes LTWO Seán Garvey GMIT Eugene Curran DAFM Adriene Booth WIT Edwin Stryker Ronan O’Keefe WIT Colin Marren GMIT Jack Brehony WIT Tony Davis Sean Lenihan Niall Farrelly TEAGASC Ronan Cashell UCD Shui Zang UCD Ciaran Duggan UCD Trevor R Hodkinson TCD

Erika Soldi TCD Rodrigo Olave AFBI Richard O Hanlon DAFM Distribution: EM News Newspread Published by: Dawn Media Ltd, 2 Barrack St Clarinbridge Co Galway Tel. + 353 91 777 222 Email: dlane@dawnmedia.ie

All material contained in this edition is copyright of Forestry and Energy Review 2020 and may not be reproduced or electronically stored without the permission of the publisher. However items may be freely reproduced provided the source is acknowledged. Content and views expressed in the publication do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

The NEXCELSIOR project aims to examine the Next steps for managing the impact of ash dieback in Ireland.

42 Can Anyone see the Wood from the Trees?

Having devoted his life to Forestry Sean Lenihan, a forester gives his views on how we have arrived at this point and the actions required to correct the present situation.

44 Tree improvement

The application of genomics to Sitka spruce tree improvement

54 Impressions of Forestry in Iceland

Jack Brehony describes his time as an intern with the icelandic forest service.

58 INFOMAR - a new innovative training tool for Continuous Cover Forestry in Ireland

INFOMAR software is an innovative outdoor training tool for Continuous Cover Forestry management which is now being used for training forest owners and foresters in Ireland.

Teagasc National Forestry Public Events 2020 As with all public events and mass gatherings, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the planned Teagasc forestry events for 2020 are either cancelled or postponed until further notice. Teagasc Forestry Development Department have collaboratively developed a comprehensive work plan setting out alternative options in providing support and promotion to forest owners and landowners. We propose to keep options under review and return to those events that are feasible as early as possible. The updated forestry events programme for 2020 is available – see www.teagasc.ie/ forestry for particulars.

Forestry&Energy

News

Celebrating Our Forests

he Teagasc Forestry Development Department has launched a forest photo competition with the theme ‘Celebrating Our Forests’ . With a chance to win exciting prizes and an overall winning prize valued at €1,000, the competition which will run over October and November 2020 will highlight how our forests can provide a wonderful setting that connect us with nature in these challenging times. Have you a favourite forest view in your local area? To kick off the competition, the first theme, ‘Forest landscapes’, will run from October 2 to October 15 (see table below). Suitable digital forest landscape images can be by emailed up to 5pm on the October 15 deadline. Teagasc greatly looks forward to viewing all photos submitted and wishes all entrants the best of luck.

Eligible competition entry dates/times for each of the four themes: Period

Theme

Eligible Entry Period

Forest landscapes

October 2 to October 15

Trees on the farm

October 16 to October 29

Forest wildlife and plants

October 30 to November 12

Enjoying our forests

November 13 to November 26

For full entry, prizes and competition details, please check: www.teagasc.ie/forestphotos

New video marks Forestry at the Tullamore Show

s this year’s Tullamore Show was cancelled because of COVID-19, Teagasc has marked the occasion with a new short video recounting the development of the popular Forest & Energy Section. https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/news/2020/ tullamore-show-2020.php The video is written and presented by Liam Kelly, Teagasc’s local forestry adviser. Liam recalls how forestry featured at the Tullamore Show since its inception in 1991. It had no organised presence however and so in 2005 Liam led the establishment of a dedicated Forest and Energy section co-ordinated by Teagasc. Since then the section has become the “go to” area for the forestry and renewable energy sectors to promote their products and services. Its popularity ensures it is fully booked each year.

Forestry&Energy

The Teagasc stand is the centrepiece of the section where advisors and researchers offer helpful advice on all aspects of forestry and a range of free information is available . All being well next year’s Tullamore Show is set for 8th August 2021.

Call for Proposals for Forestry Skills Training. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is inviting proposals for forestry skills training that will build forestry knowledge and capacity amongst future forestry professionals in the area of forest establishment and wood mobilisation with a special focus on health and safety. Proposals should have particular emphasis on practical experience where appropriate and should aim to award qualiﬁcations to meet new developments and priorities in the forestry sector. A copy of the Speciﬁcation Document can be downloaded from the following website: www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/ forestservicegeneralinformation/ Proposals for training can be e-mailed to: karl.coggins@agriculture.gov.ie by 4pm, Friday 27th November 2020.

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News

Virtual Talking Timber a Big Success

n July, over five hundred forest owners and members of the forest industry attended a very successful Talking Timber which this year was presented online due to COVID-19 restrictions. Teagasc’s popular annual conifer timber marketing event, renamed Virtual Talking Timber to reflect the current circumstances, organised in co-operation with Forest Industry Ireland (FII) and DAFM, focussed on the theme “Thinning conifers – adding values; controlling the outcomes”. Shortened to a live one hour event, Virtual Talking Timber was designed with a mix of short videos, live panel discussion and audience Q&A to inform and support forest owners preparing to thin their conifer forests, grow quality timber and sell it successfully. With more and more private forests reaching thinning stage and annual timber production from the sector forecast to increase sevenfold to almost 3 million cubic metres by 2028, there are both challenges and opportunities to successfully bring this rapidly expanding timber resource to market. Thinning is an essential forest operation providing forest owners an opportunity to grow healthy forests, earn money and produce top quality logs that sawmills and timber processors desire. The event began with a welcome by the host Dr.Nuala Ni Fhlatharta, Head of the Teagasc Forestry Development Department who set the scene and outlined the agenda. She introduced the expert panel of Teagasc forestry advisers Liam Kelly and Steven Meyen and DAFM forestry inspector Seppi Hona. She also encouraged attendees to avail of the online Q&A facility to ask questions and submit comments during the event. The first short video featured a visit to the forest of Roscommon owner Con Keigher who was preparing for the second thinning of his Sitka spruce and Norway spruce forest. Con outlined how he got involved in forestry, his experience to date in developing the forest infrastructure and his hopes for a second thinning. He emphasised the need for good forward planning, especially at the present time, to ensure that a felling licence is in place and the forest road is maintained and ready for timber lorries. In a second video local Teagasc forestry adviser Noel Kennedy, in Con Keigher’s forest, explained the difference between first and second thinning. He noted that second thinning marks the onset of commercial timber production and presents particular management challenges of matching timing and thinning intensity with crop stability for sustainable timber production. The concept of thinning

control plots was advocated as a practical means of regulating thinning and providing owners with a critical thinning management tool to avoid the negative impacts of under and overthinning. A final short video featured Laois Sawmills where their Forestry Manager Sean Kelly spoke about the type of logs and log quality required from the sawmill perspective, what can be produced and the opportunities for forest owners to maximise timber prices through good management practice. The different log categories of pulp, pallet and sawlog representing the output from typical second thinnings were shown. Examples of poor quality logs, particularly in the higher value pallet and sawlog categories, were also shown with Sean Kelly highlighting how poor management, thinning and harvesting practice can negatively impact on thinning returns to owners while reducing the supply of top quality logs to sawmills. After each video there was then a panel discussion on the issues raised. Liam Kelly and Steven Meyen expanded on a range of management topics including factors influencing the decision to thin and what a forest owner should be looking for in a timber sales contract. The issue of delays in felling licences was raised by the host and Seppi Hona detailed how DAFM is implementing a new management system to more effectively reduce the backlog of licence approvals. The final part of Virtual Talking Timber was a dedicated Q&A session where the panel responded to the many questions submitted. Questions ranged from timing of thinning, felling licence issues and forest roads to high pruning, timber measurement, markets and taxation. Over eighty questions were received with the panel answering as many as possible. Questions not answered on the night were responded to in the following days. In her closing remarks Nuala Ni Fhlatharta thanked the panellists and other participants but especially the huge numbers of forest owners who attended. She hoped that they found the first Virtual Talking Timber worthwhile and that it helped to inform them on preparing for thinning, harvesting and selling timber. A recording of Virtual Talking Timber is at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yLlZNg3xKI4 For a wide range of thinning and timber marketing information, please see www.teagasc.ie/forestry or contact your local Teagasc forestry adviser.

Teagasc Launches - ‘A Forest to Suit Every Farm’ Booklet

eagasc has launched a new booklet, ‘A Forest to Suit Every Farm’, which highlights innovative approaches and experiences of forest owners across Ireland. The publication, developed with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, provides 17 examples of how a sustainably managed forest can fit in on a farm and complement a range of farm enterprises. Launched by Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle at his own forest in Co.Tipperary, the new booklet brings together a range of farmer case studies and their innovative approaches to farm forestry. It provides insights into their motivation for planting, their progress to date and their objectives for the future. ‘A Forest to Suit Every Farm’ is available on the Teagasc website and can be downloaded at https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2020/aforest-to-suit-every-farm---farm-forest-owner-profiles.php or a paper

copy can be requested by emailing emer.eagle@teagasc.ie with your postal address. The booklet represents an important reference document and source of information for current and future forest owners by highlighting the rewards of timely planning, good management and pioneering approaches. In this regard, it will also be a valuable resource for providers of advisory and training services across the agrifood sector. In the meantime Teagasc forestry advisors continue to engage with farm forest owners and to compile case studies of exemplar farm forests and their owners from all corners of Ireland.

Teagasc To Host Phone In Forestry Clinics

eagasc will run a series of forestry clinics for landowners considering forestry and for those forest owners with existing plantations between Monday 23 November and Friday 4 December 2020. In light of the current COVID restrictions the One- One consultations with an experienced Teagasc forestry adviser will be by phone or online using Zoom. Prior booking will be required. The Teagasc Forestry Phone in Clinics are an ideal opportunity to explore how forestry might work for you and provide independent and objective advice to help you to address issues including: 6

Forestry&Energy

• What planting grants and premiums are available? • How does forestry interact with other farm schemes e.g. BPS etc.? • What forest management schemes are available? • What to expect from harvesting and timber sales? For more up to date information on Teagasc Phone in Clinics in your area and how to book your One to One consultation please check www.teagasc.ie/forestry.

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News

Donegal winner of 2020 RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Award announced

he winner of the of the 2020 RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Award is Donegal farmer Ross Buchanan. Usually presented in front of a packed audience in the RDS Concert Hall as part of the annual Spring Livestock and Forestry Awards, this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, the award was presented to Ross on his farm and forest in Carndonagh on the Inishowen peninsula. Receiving the Special Commendation Award in the 2020 RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Category was Paddy Rhatigan, Roosky, Co. Roscommon. The award recognises farmers like Ross and Patrick who are achieving sustainable integration of their forestry and farming enterprises. This is helping farming families and the communities in which they live to build resilience by optimising the many economic, environmental, practical and social benefits that can accrue from farms and forests working together. From traditional Donegal sheep farming stock, Ross Buchanan manages 48 hectares of diverse woodlands planted on an outlying farm in 2006. This has opened up new opportunities for farm diversification and as such forestry is now very much an integral part of the farm. “Trees were once an integral part of Inishowen’s heritage. Restoring some measure of the biodiversity and scenic value of woodland to promote the peninsula is something I would love to see in my lifetime.” he says. Teagasc forestry adviser Steven Meyen said “Ross’s story shows how farm forests can be a multipurpose resource and meet a range of owner objectives. Applicants for the RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Award reflect a range of sustainable and innovative approaches to making farming and forests work together with benefits for all.” Special Commendation Award winner Paddy Rhatigan from Roosky in Co. Roscommon farmed a suckler herd before taking the decision to

plant the majority of his farm in 2012. Sitka spruce is the main species in Paddy’s forest which also includes a significant area of oak, Scots pine and silver birch and is now forest is a haven for wildlife, and he has seen deer, red squirrels, foxes and birds of prey in and near his forest. Paddy actively manages his forest pruning the oak, cutting back scrub, keeping access paths open, all while listening to bird song. He says, “all in all it’s a nice place to spend a few hours for mind and body.” For more information on the RDS Teagasc Farm Forestry Award and all aspects of planting, management and training visit: www.teagasc.ie/ forestry

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Forestry&Energy

Planting Innovation

Iarnród Éireann, first to get approval to plant under the new ‘Woodland Creation on Public Lands’ scheme Iarnrod Eireann adopting best practice to achieve decarbonisation goals for Ireland.

arnród Éireann are the first public body to secure approval for the establishment of a native forest under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s ‘Woodland Creation on Public Lands’ scheme. When completed the 4.5ha site, will consist of over 14,000 trees, consisting of willow, birch and alder. The new forest will recreate the type of woodland that once extended across the entire island of Ireland thousands of years ago. Jim Meade, CEO of Iarnród Éireann said that “As one of the country’s largest public land custodians, Iarnród Éireann recognises the important role it can play in developing and enhancing our country’s natural capital. We are delighted that approval has been granted by the Department on this our first native woodland established under the scheme. We are now actively examining our landbank to assess whether other sites may also be suitable for entry into the scheme.” According to the Government’s Climate Action Plan early action on climate by public bodies is fundamental to achieving Ireland’s decarbonisation goals. Public bodies must go beyond simply shaping the policy framework, they must also act as exemplars of best practice in taking climate action across all sectors and use their capacities to lead a wider transition. The Plan includes a planting target of 8,000 ha per annum and the ‘Creation of Woodlands on Public Lands’ scheme will give public bodies the funding and silvicultural framework to help meet this objective. Target areas for this scheme include available land within urban and peri-urban landscapes such as former, transport corridors, urban watercourses, and existing green areas making sure to avoid land allocated for housing. The Programme for Government has also tasked the Climate Action Regional Offices (CARO) to work with public bodies to review land available for planting. The Local Government Sector has recognised the potential and benefits of the ‘Woodland Creation on Public Lands Scheme ‘ and is actively investigating potential sites across the Country on Local Authority owned lands. CARO, in its role of coordinating Local Authorities in the area of climate action, has set up a Working Group to develop a Guidance document that will provide information on site selection, procurement 10

Forestry&Energy

of foresters and compliance with the Scheme requirements. The Programme for Government also calls for a radical expansion of community forests. With this in mind the scheme provides generous grants for the installation of trails, signage and playgrounds where the forest in located close to a centre of population. The Department has started work on developing a specification for planting native woodlands on former landfill sites. In conjunction with the CARO network, the potential of these sites for planting under the scheme is being investigated by the Department. By encouraging the planting of native species on suitable land, public bodies are not only establishing habitats rich in biodiversity they are also creating opportunities for local communities to connect with nature and enjoy taking a stroll in their ‘neighbourwood’. Forests established under this scheme will exist in perpetuity and are non-commercial in so far as they exist for the benefit of the public in general. In relation to the planting of native woodlands on private land the establishment of these forest types is growing in popularity. The total area of native woodlands established under the afforestation scheme has for the first time since records began exceeded 400 hectares. A total of 427 hectares have been planted so far in 2020, totalling over 1.4 million individual native trees. There are a number of reasons why more landowners are choosing to plant native woodlands. Firstly, the highest grant and premium rates provided under the afforestation scheme are reserved for native forests; there is also increasing demand amongst landowners to make a meaningful contribution to addressing the biodiversity crisis and thirdly there is growing interest amongst the business community to help incentivise landowners to plant native woodlands. With regard to the latter point, businesses have co-funded almost 75 hectares of native woodland under the Departments Woodland Environmental Fund initiative (WEF) in 2020. Companies such as Accenture, An Post, Microsoft, Aldi, KBI Global Investments and Lidl have all participated in the WEF since 2019 and interest is continuing to grow in this initiative.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides a range of information on forestry, associated grants and felling licences. The COFORD, Wood Technology Ireland and Wood Energy websites listed below are hosted by DAFM and provide a range of information important for the development of the forest sector. The relevant websites are: www.agriculture.gov.ie Forestry grants and premiums • Felling licences • Online management tools

www.woodtechnologyireland.ie Independent advice on the speciﬁcation and use of wood products, and on timber standards

www.woodenergy.ie Advisory service on the wood biomass supply chain and wood fuels

www.coford.ie Download COFORD publications and Connect Notes

For up-to-date and detailed information on forestry grant schemes, visit

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/grantsandpremiumschemes2014-2020/ For contact details of your local Teagasc Forestry Advisor, visit www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/

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Hardwood Research

Small Diameter Alder Research Research at Teagasc and GMIT is currently underway investigating the working properties and potential exploitation of small diameter alder, an undervalued, plentiful native hardwood. Writes Colin Marren

preliminary studies on four species as they relate to their applicability to the construction industry). Results for alder from the EARTH project showed limited potential for this species in the construction industry. Therefore, alternative avenues for marketing alder thinnings are being sought.

n Ireland, approximately 95% of hardwoods used in the furniture and woodworking industries are imported. There is, however, a significant area of broadleaf plantations from which small diameter thinnings can be harvested. Much of that material is currently directed to the firewood market, negating any added-value potential, which could be realised through markets for better quality material. There is potential to reduce reliance on imported hardwoods through advances made in the processing of small-diameter hardwood logs and the development of innovative uses for small-sized sawn hardwoods. According to the National Forestry Inventory report, Irish alder (Alnus glutinosa), also known as Black or Common alder, makes up 2.7% of forestry in Ireland, equating to 17,910 hectares or over 6 million trees. With 76.4% of stocked forest area considered available for wood production, this leaves over 13,500 hectares or around 4.5 million alder trees of various sizes and ages available with no value-added markets of great significance existing (Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, 2018). Historically alder was used for underwater piles along canals due to alders’ resistance to rot when submerged in water, Venice being a prime example of this. Clogs were often made from alder also due to its natural anti-bacterial properties. In more recent times, alder has been used in instrument construction, veneer making, plywood manufacture, joinery, and pulp production. Alder wood has a striking resemblance to cherry and is often referred to as the poor man’s cherry. Alder can grow on various soil types with varying nutrient status and can tolerate flooding and high-water tables. It has a diffuse-porous cell structure resulting in closed pours and fine, even grain, making it ideal for staining, painting, and finishing. It is consistent in appearance, doesn’t present variation between heartwood and sapwood, and is not troubled by resin-filled knots. When first cut, planks are white in appearance and change to a reddish-brown colour on exposure. Interestingly, the American species, red alder or Alnus Rubra, was once considered a weed and is frequently used throughout the United States and the world. In 2014 red alder became the third most extensively exported hardwood in the United States following an aggressive marketing campaign beginning in the ‘80s (Kaiser, 2014). Though a little different in appearance, the red alder and Irish grown black alder’s mechanical properties are quite comparable. The transformation of mentality and approach to red alder in the United States certainly give reason to be optimistic about the future of Irish alder if the quality is controlled. Previous studies and research have been conducted on Irish alder by Dermot O’Donovan (GMIT) and Teagasc through the Alder Improvement Programme and EARTH project (Exploitation And Realisation of Thinnings from Hardwoods. The EARTH project - a two-year project led by NUIG that did some 14

Forestry&Energy

PROJECT DETAILS The current two-year project will establish the characteristics, working properties, and utilisation potential of small-diameter (20 – 30 cm) Irish-grown alder (Alnus glutinosa) to support woodland owners in developing new markets and small enterprises wishing to use Irish timber. To establish what other markets exist for this material, opportunities to add value and establish new utilisation potential of alder is being explored by establishing the working and finishing properties and investigating innovative uses. The research project will demonstrate the working properties of small diameter alder in relation to seasoning/kiln drying, processing (planing, sanding, milling, and boring), nailing /screwing, gluing, and finishing. Outcomes will include the development of product prototypes and resources designed based on maximising the species’ utilisation potential. It is anticipated that the findings may have broader application to other species and larger diameter material and will also help close the knowledge gap existing between woodland owners and their potential markets. This 24-month project is funded by Teagasc in partnership with GMIT Letterfrack. The project team consists of M.Sc. student and Walsh Scholar Colin Marren, Dr. Ian Short (Teagasc), Mr. Sean Garvey (GMIT), and Mr. Dermot O’Donovan (GMIT). The extended team includes Dr. Kate Dunne (GMIT), Mr. Kevin Maye (GMIT), and Dr. Robert Bush (Virginia Tech). WORK COMPLETE The majority of the testing phase has been completed, and results are now in the analysis phase. The testing of the alder was completed at GMIT Letterfrack, the national centre of excellence in woodworking. Conversion of logs to planks and the drying process was performed onsite with a Norwood saw and a 6m3 steam-drying kiln. Machinability and mechanical testing procedures were conducted in the GMIT Letterfrack machine hall and laboratory. It was noted that the longer the duration that logs were left before processing, the more spalting that occurred. If cutting alder, it would be advised to convert logs to plank form as soon as possible to avoid this, unless spalting is desired for decorative timber. The drying tests compared the recommended Schedule J drying method with new novel approaches, removing the pre-airdrying process and using a much more aggressive drying schedule to speed up production and turnaround time. It appears that there is not a significant effect on mechanical properties as a result of the drying methods tested, but this remains to be confirmed through statistical analysis of the results data. There is potential for one further test to be conducted in this category, which would combine the removal of air drying and increasing the temperature in the kiln to dry the material as aggressively and fast as possible. Unfortunately, the kiln used in the testing has temperature restrictions, limiting how far this can be tested. After removal from the drying kiln, visual inspection of the material showed little to no cracking, splitting, cupping, or twisting throughout the stack of planks. Typically twisting and cupping can be an issue with small diameter and juvenile logs. Cupping and twisting are due to the plank’s proximity to the tree’s pith, while cracking and splitting would indicate an overaggressive drying schedule. Preliminary observations from testing are promising, with the alder showing impressive machinability and stability levels. Machinability tests included planing,

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Hardwood Research

Figure 1 Spalted alder.

Figure 2 Alder cut soon after felling.

Figure 5 Test sample after CNC profile test.

Figure 3 Alder after drying

Figure 4 Test samples before testing

sanding, CNC routing, and boring, which all produced little stress on machinery and produced visually pleasing results. The routing and boring tests were performed on a flatbed CNC router and tested straight cuts, profiled cuts, and boring. Fifty samples were tested in each category, producing promising results across the board. Samples were evaluated on a scale of 1-5 (1 being defect-free and five being severely defective) across multiple criteria according to the ASTM D-1666 standard. The profiled cut produced the most defects but require little sanding to bring them up to par. 52% of samples were deemed acceptable when cutting with the grain, 88% when cutting across the grain, and 80% cutting on the end grain. Straight milling tests resulted in 100% of samples being defect-free when cut with the grain and on the end grain, while 88% of the samples had no defect when cutting across the grain. Boring tests also showed a high level of machinability, with 81% of samples presenting as defect-free. Planing and sanding tests also consisted of 50 samples per test, with 78% of planed and 86% of sanded samples producing defect-free results. Throughout all the machinability testing, 1700 evaluations took place, evaluating different criteria with only eight incidences receiving a grade of 5 (severely defective). Initial indications show favourable gluing properties following testing conducted on an Instron test rig. The test included bonding two samples and pulling them apart, testing the bond’s shear, tensile strength. The samples also tested well in screw withdrawal tests showing a reasonable level of holding capabilities. Finishing tests were completed using the pull-off test, which measures the finish’s bond to the wood; these tests showed moderate adhesion levels. Statistical

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analysis will provide better insight into the results from these tests. Though the application of finish was not tested, it was notably easy to apply a water-based Figure 6 Cabinet made from juvenile alder lacquer using only a by Martin Kearney, GMIT. paintbrush, resulting in an even consistent finish. It must be noted that these comments are observations and are yet to be statistically proven. WHAT COMES NEXT? Over the remaining twelve months of the research, statistical analyses will be conducted on data from the tests. The statistical analyses will provide further information on the material’s performance, guiding the exploration of potential value-added markets. Further information on this project can be found at www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/research Article Author Colin Marren Teagasc Walsh Scholar and B.Sc in Furniture Design and Manufacture This project is funded by Teagasc and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

Teagasc Forestry Services

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Our research covers many aspects of the life cycle of a forest from seedling to sawdust. Research is carried out in Teagasc research centres in state-of-the-art laboratories and growing facilities and on privately owned farm forests throughout Ireland.

Teagasc provides objective and independent advisory services to all private landowners on forestry related matters. Teagasc forestry advisors provide free, independent and objective advice on any technical or financial aspect regarding forestry.

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Wood-Mizer Feature

NEW Machines from Wood-Mizer at the same BEST Quality

Wood-Mizer is presenting a few NEW machines to all sawyers and woodworkers who value quality, precision and comfort of work. This time it’s a range of sawmills and machines designed for WIDE cutting (LT40WIDE, LX250) or flattening of slabs (MB200 SlabMizer). There’s also something for those who’d like to take their sawmill for a ride (LT15 MOBILE).

T40WIDE was designed to meet the demands for wider cutting, even up to 100 cm of log diameter. This model expands the LT40 series of machines which have been offered successfully worldwide for 30 years. Its wide saw head increases the maximum width of cut from 72 cm on the standard models to 84 cm on the wide head models (distance between rollers). For better blade stability the new LT40WIDE is fitted with an improved blade guide arm system and an upgraded debarker. The sawmill is offered with the bed in 3 sizes (5m, 6.3m or 8.6m log length), new design of roof-top shaped bed rails, AH3 hydraulics and a convenient control unit. LX250 TWIN RAIL was designed to saw very wide logs with diameter up to 140 cm, without losing on the precision of cutting or comfort of operation. The wide sawmill head is now assembled to a rigid xFrame mast and moves along two hardened steel rails (TWIN RAIL system). It’s not a problem to load big logs onto the bed as it features raised cross bed sections, 3 side supports and 2 manual clamps. Working on LX250 is easy and comfortable thanks to the control panel which includes up/ down/forward/reverse movements, feed speed and an ammeter for checking the present electric load. MB200 SlabMizer is a perfect solution for surfacing and flattening of wood slabs, boards and other wide materials. The machine works

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more efficient than a traditional router or planer thanks to a 5-knife cutter head, directional controls and variable feed speed. The boards which can be flattened may span up to 142 cm of width and 203 mm of thickness. The work piece is put comfortably on a large steel bed with 8 adjustable legs and secured by 2 sets of various clamps. The depth of cutting is adjusted manually with a crank (from 0,4 to 3,17 mm in 0,4 mm increments), but feed speed and X/Y directions are operated from the control panel. The work piece can be finished with a sander mounted on the cutting head. LT15 MOBILE expands the scope of the popular LT15 series sawmills and offers more possibilities for custom, mobile sawing. Its construction is similar to LT15CLASSIC or LT15START but it was redesigned to adopt it for use as a mobile sawmill. In practice it means that the operator can cut logs while on the trailer, without the necessity to assemble the machine to the ground. Compared to the stationary LT15, its mobile version has a changed mast, head and bed sections. The trailer package is offered in two configurations of axles – 750 kg or 1300 kg gross weight. Preparing the mobile sawmill for cutting is quick and easy – all you need to do is to adjust the outriggers to level the bed, move the fenders over the wheels and pull out the pin securing the mast.

Forestry Sector Vision

Minister Hackett Outlines Future Vision For Forestry Sector

In an article written specifically written for Forestry & Energy Review, the Minister seeks to allay the fears of the Commercial Forestry Sector, while acknowledging that we are operating in a fast changing environment.

he national forest estate in Ireland is over 770,020 hectares or 11% of the land area. Although this figure is small by comparison to other countries it is a significant increase from the early 1900s, when forests covered just 1% of Ireland’s

land. It hadn’t always been such. In prehistoric times trees covered over 80% of the island of Ireland, but centuries of deforestation and over exploitation without sustainable forest management had resulted in the massive removals of forests from our landscape However, the journey to replace these forests is underway. Since the early 1920s successive governments have embarked on extensive tree planting programmes to create the public and private forests that we see today, and we now have the highest level of recorded forest area for well over 350 years. Ireland’s climate is an excellent one for growing trees and the National Forest Inventory carried out in 2017 records a wide variety of tree species in all counties and of all ages. That inventory, which provides detailed information on our forests, is taken every 5 years or so and my Department is currently collecting data for the next cycle. The table below illustrates the wide variety of species present which includes spruces, pines, firs and the many native broadleaves that are found throughout Ireland. Indeed, at this time of the year as autumn takes hold we can see the wide variety of trees that create a wide tapestry of colour in our landscape. Species groups

Area ha

Approx %

Sitka spruce

343,310

51.1

Norway spruce

25,770

3.8

Scots pine

7,660

1.1

Other pines

64,890

9.6

Douglas fir

10,380

1.5

Larch species

24,490

3.6

Other conifers

3,030

0.4

Sessile and Pedunculate Oak

17,880

2.7

Beech

10,030

1.5

Ash

25,280

3.8

Sycamore

10,100

1.5

Birch species

47,270

Alder

17,910

2.7

Other broadleaves (long lived)

11,820

1.8

Other broadleaves (short lived)

53,280

7.9

Total

673,100*

100

Table: National Forest Inventory DAFM 2017: *Total area including open space amounts to 770,020 ha

Forestry&Energy

Forest and Climate Change:

Forests play a big role in Climate Change mitigation, mainly though their capacity to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. At the national level Ireland’s forests have removed on average over 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere, including carbon stored in wood. This is an average figure and takes into account all different types of tree species, level of harvest and ages of trees growing on a range of different soil types. To put that into context the total removal of carbon dioxide by forests in any one year is the equivalent of the total carbon dioxide emissions of well over half the private cars in Ireland each year. We must capitalise on this. Thus, the resilience of the forest estate and its ability to withstand the impacts of climate change are the focus of ongoing targeted research, including projects examining the role of forests and the environment. The role of the carbon which is stored in wood merits attention too. The timber produced from forests is of course found everywhere and it is a renewable sustainable building material. In our houses and buildings the wood used in the roofs, walls and floors has locked up many tonnes of carbon that trees sequestered from the atmosphere. This will have beneficial impacts on reducing global warming. Practically everything that can be made with non-renewable materials can be made from wood and we are seeing an increase in innovative products being developed. We are also doing research in this area. My department supports a number of current projects which aim to increase the use of wood in construction. Excellent work is taking place in the NUIG Galway in timber engineering and research. The National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology in Letterfrack, Co Galway is producing design graduates who will increase the use of timber in our everyday lives. I am also pleased to see the development of a new wood technology science degree in TU Dublin which further complements courses in forestry in UCD and WIT. Building capacity in those who work in our forests will help sustain their development.

Forestry Sector Vision

Forest Industry and Markets:

Ireland’s forest industry is significant. It provides employment to over 12,000 people, with the majority of those jobs in rural Ireland. The jobs are of course across an array of disciplines in the supply chain. From planting seeds in the nurseries to producing the plants for planting out in the forest, to maintaining and eventually, in some cases, felling and replanting, it takes many people to grow a forest. The Food and Agricultural Organisation, the FAO, estimates that planted forests represent nearly 7% of the world’s forested areas and provide at least one-third of the world’s timber, so their importance should not be underestimated. In 2018 nearly 3.7 million cubic metres of timber was harvested sustainably from Ireland’s forests. It produced a range of forest products such as sawn wood, timber for pallets and fences, and biomass for heating. We see that volume increasing and expect that timber production on the island of Ireland will nearly double to 8 million cubic

metres by 2035. The expansion of the forest estate, particularly since the 1990s has seen over 23,000 lands owners plant trees and over €3 billion invested by the state. My Department has made available significant funding to help create new forests by providing grants for planting trees of all species. It also provides annual payments of up to 15 years, a period I know is not perceived by many, as long enough. Notwithstanding that, the existing industry needs to be encouraged to continue to work with land owners, forest owners and communities to realise the true potential of our existing and new forests. Indeed there is evidence that is happening in that while in the past the main producer of wood was from the state forests, this is changing and in 2018 private forests produced over 1 million cubic metres for the first time. We have a good mix of different types of forests here in Ireland but we do need to do more. The sustainable management of forests is about

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Forestry Sector Vision

balancing the social, environment and economic criteria in the decisions that we make. I am focused on the need to find that balance and in particular on the need to encourage the planting of native species which work with nature and lead to ‘the right tree being planted in the right place’.

Looking forward:

My vision is for a forestry programme which will encourage planting diversity, action on climate and improvements in environmental and biodiversity outcomes, while also supporting a healthy industry. In this regard I am pleased to see the way in which scheme conditions for afforestation have evolved over the years. The commonly held view that planting takes no account of landscape or the need for diversity no longer holds true. All new planting must have up to 15% open space and have a minimum of 15% broadleaves. This is a radical change from the legacy planting familiar to many and I look forward to it making

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for much more attractive and better balanced woodlands in the future. In conclusion, I am encouraged by the massive potential that exists across Ireland to continue the work that has been started many decades ago. As our forests mature and develop there exists great opportunities to maximise the many functions that forests fulfill. The Programme for Government is ambitious for forestry, with more than 15 proactive, close to nature forestry commitments in it, and I am determined to work with all stakeholders to achieve it’s ambition. Along with my Department, I will be developing a new forestry strategy to deliver on the Programme, a strategy which will be subject to public consultation. I look forward to that consultation being widespread and robust and I look forward to the consequential strategy building on the successes of the past, sustaining jobs and communities in the future, and most of all, respecting, and working with, nature.

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One Man’s Journey

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Tony Davis, a contractor from Mayo briefly outlines his journey of life through forestry and it’s benefits.

n 1986 following a knee injury sustained in the Curragh in Co.Kildare I found myself doing “rehabilitation” helping my father in the forest and he knew as little about it as me. I had just spent 4 years as an apprentice jockey in Ireland and England so the forest was a very different environment. We were cutting and winching out windblown timber for Glennons sawmill in Longford and due to our total lack of know how it was hardship all the way but while my father and others fell by the wayside I stuck with it through thick and thin becoming a decent sawman spending 5 years cutting and stacking timber in forests all over the country. They were happy days indeed but I needed to evolve, I learned to drive forwarders in the late 80s but it was 1990 when I started on harvesters for National Harvesting Ltd owned by Tony Doonan and Aidan Muldoon. Harvesting was in its infancy and the machines were troublesome to say the least but the work got done. Eventually I started out on my own

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in 1994 with a machine previously owned by National Harvesting, a JCB with a Silvatec 335 harvesting head. I bought it off Aidan Larke and it went very well indeed. Shortly after I bought this machine I went to Moygownagh in Co.Mayo initially to cut one sale of timber for Coillte but I am still here 25 years later married with three children. The irony is that my late father in law worked for the state forestry for 37 years and planted most of the timber that I cut in the early years. So, what put food on his table and raised his family was and is doing the same for me. A lot of the ground that was planted in those days was of very poor quality with a lot of bog and very wet ground planted but we harvested it and it was replanted again and I thought no more of it. Only in the last 5 years or so I seem to be revisiting some of these sites again to 1st thin them and some of them to clearfell for a second time, that’s two rotations in my life so far which is unbelievable.

One Man’s Journey

“It would take 50 to 60 years in Finland to grow the trees that you can grow in 20 years” These days I have two new Ponsse machines which are very efficient and productive but when anyone comes over from Ponsse in Finland they cannot believe the rate at which trees grow here, “It would take 50 to 60 years in Finland to grow the trees that you can grow in 20 years” said one Finnish man. They cannot believe we don’t have more trees in Ireland. When I tell them we are one of the most underplanted countries in Europe at around 11% when the European average is around 34% they shake their heads in disbelief, “ What have people against trees and forests” they ask and I have no answer because I don’t know either. Forestry gets a bad press that’s for sure and maybe some of it can be justified but there is no valid argument against planting a tree in this day and age. The much maligned Sitka Spruce tree is the staple diet for the sawmills and while some would like you to believe its an invasive species the truth is it’s only tree for commercial forests and we grow it faster than ANY other country in Europe. Some say it’s a monoculture but with around 6% of the landmass planted with Sitka its hard to make an argument for that and we

must remember this was planted in the infancy of forestry in Ireland especially in the private sector, we have learned and evolved with more hardwoods and open areas in plantations these days. IN CONCLUSION After nearly 35 years in the forests at the coal face so to speak it never ceases to amaze me how quickly these forests grow and how much they contribute to Ireland. Do we sell ourselves short in this regard? Absolutely. An aggressive planting programme must be put in place quickly and with less red tape. Abolish the need for a licence to thin at the very least as it is a necessity to make a commercial crop, comparable to weeding carrots. Inform landowners of the benefits of forestry and how it can run hand in hand and in fact complement their farms like those in Mainland Europe. For once don’t begrudge ourselves the ability to be the best in Europe at growing trees embrace it and be proud of the fact. Tony Davis (Forestry contractor) 086 2526193

Forestry&Energy

The Future of Ash

What Now For Ash?

The NEXCELSIOR project aims to examine the Next steps for managing the impact of ash dieback in Ireland

sh trees have considerable economic, cultural and environmental value on the island of Ireland for forestry and the provision of a host of other ecosystem services. Ash accounts for 25,280 ha of the forest estate in Ireland and approx. 4,000 ha in Northern Ireland, occurring mainly as individual trees outside woodland and in hedgerows. However, this considerable investment is severely threatened by the ash dieback pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Given the rapid spread of ash dieback disease on the island since its first finding in 2012, and the extensive and severe damage caused by the pathogen in mainland Europe, research is needed to inform governments, and industry on ways to minimise the impact of this fungal pathogen. The pathogen is now past the point of eradication, being present in all 32 counties. This spread of the disease has been reflected in the recent change of policy in Ireland and Northern Ireland to one of management rather than eradication. Key knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of alternative management strategies and their effect on (i) wood quality degradation, (ii) impact of other pathogens with ash dieback infected trees, and (iii) 28

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pathogen spread in relation to management regime and microclimate. NEXCELSIOR is a recently begun, DAFM-funded project which takes an all-Ireland approach to devise strategies for managing ash forests (infected and at-risk) under these changed circumstances. The project group includes researchers from Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and AFBI Northern Ireland. The project plans to use state-of-the-art techniques such as acoustic velocity testing of wood strength and degradation, and molecular DNA identification of associated pathogens, as well as a range of field experiments to test the ability of silvicultural and silvopastoral manipulations to limit the impact and spread of the disease. The overall aim of NEXCELSIOR is to develop evidence-based guidance for foresters to minimise the impact of the disease and to maximise the recovery of timber (Figure 1) or other products/services and preserve ash as a component in Irish forests. Involvement of stakeholders from industry, government and NGOs will contribute to developing this guidance.

Mark Mobile: 086 2261901 Office Number Cora: 0863643858

The Future of Ash

Figure 1: The dieback disease causes lesions, brownish in colour, on branches and stems that spread longitudinally into the wood. This staining as well as subsequent colonisation by other decomposing species will quickly and severely affect potential timber uses. The NEXCELSIOR project will investigate how quickly timber quality in older trees will be affected by dieback infections with a view to making recommendations on how best to maximise the value of affected stands. Image courtesy of the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), UK Crown Copyright.

Research Concept

The underlying concept of NEXCELSIOR is that ash dieback is established in Ireland, and guidance is needed for foresters on how to maximise the returns from ash trees infected with the disease. The recent EU-funded FRAXBACK project delivered many insights into this new disease, however there are still significant gaps in our knowledge related to the likely levels of tolerance to the disease in Ireland, the potential interactions of ash dieback with other benign and pathogenic organisms, the rate of timber decay in ash dieback infected trees, and potential management strategies to minimise the effect of the disease. As Ireland has had an eradication-focussed response to ash dieback for the past 6 years, there has been little research into these key knowledge gaps. The project team contains experts in plant pathology, forestry, and botany. This work is unique as it builds on the recent research to develop a solution fit for Irish conditions. The project team have close links with industry but will be seeking to further develop such linkage to ensure research outputs will be of practical use to growers and processers. Close involvement with plant health inspectors and scientists from DAFM and DAERA will also ensure delivery of the relevant industry and policy needs.

Project Objectives •

Investigations carried out by NEXCELSIOR will work on material from four different site types: agroforestry, forestry, hedgerows and seed stands. The research work has been split across three main objectives, each of which will be examined by a separate work package (WP): WP1. Investigate ash dieback and wood degradation WP2. Examine the potential interaction of other pathogens with ash dieback disease WP3. Trialling silvicultural management strategies informed by disease epidemiology A further WP will disseminate results and develop practical guidance to enable foresters to maximise the health or wood returns from ash stands despite the presence/risk of ash dieback.

• • • •

WP1 Wood degradation and ash dieback

Outward symptoms of dieback include necrotic bark lesions and discoloured wood, though the extent of bark necroses are generally much smaller than the area of sapwood discolouration underneath. The fungus generally invades through stomata in leaves (Figure 2), but recent work by Dr Miguel Nemesio Gorriz at Teagasc Ashtown has shown that infections also occur via stem lenticels. Although the intra-

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Figure 2: The Hymenoscyphus fraxineus fungus is spread from spores produced on leaf litter from the previous year which are carried by the wind. They infect new healthy leaves during summer months. The fungus grows into them, through the rachis or petiole into the twig, branch and subsequently into the stem. tissue invasion pathways are not completely understood, it is generally accepted that the pathogen has a preference for invasion of pith and vessels (via ray parenchyma) with subsequent spread outwards towards cambial and phloem tissues where colonisation by secondary fungi is common. Therefore, the potential for timber degradation will tend to be greater than suggested by outward symptoms. A first step in this work will be to develop a visual grading system to characterise the extent of disease progression in individual trees. The WP1 team will use non-destructive methods (e.g. acoustic velocity tools) to assess impacts on wood density and strength properties resulting from degradation. The propagation of longitudinal stress-waves has become a commonly-used technique to assess stiffness (modulus of elasticity) in standing trees and logs. Recent UK work examining the radial growth record of dead infected trees demonstrated the worth of tissue examination; evidence was found of an earlier introduction of the pathogen to the UK than had previously been understood. Accordingly, this task will investigate the progression of the disease among trees sourced from infected plantations as well as hedgerows in order to collect a “response curve” to inform management practice how best to maximise timber return from existing ash resources. In collaboration with DAFM and DAERA plant health inspectors, the project team will select sites around Ireland and Northern Ireland where known H. fraxineus-infected mature hedgerow trees will be examined, as well as a series of infected forest sites. The time since infection will be estimated using inspector records and examination of the extent of dieback in the canopy edges. The forest plot at AFBI Loughgall has both uninfected, and trees naturally infected with ash dieback. Material from thinning residues from thinning operations planned at the AFBI forest plots in Loughgall will be used to parameterise the calibration curves to relate the non-destructive assessments of timber degradation with the extent of dieback infection. Near infrared spectroscopy will be used to assess wood samples of varying degrees of degradation for this calibration process. Other assessments of the timber samples will include moisture content, specific density etc. The generation of a calibration index using near infrared spectroscopy and specific density will ensure the acoustic velocity assessments represent reliable timber quality attributes Trees will also be sampled for DNA identification analyses of other fungal and bacterial pathogens that may influence wood quality (in WP2). A characterisation of the progression of degradation and subsequent infection by fungal or bacterial staining, leading eventually to decomposition, will allow the development of recommendations for best practice in timber recovery from ash stands. This will be achieved

2019-2020

The Future of Ash

through collaboration with the project steering group and engagement with stakeholders. The coupling of such recommendations with silvicultural and stand management-related activities will ensure the maximisation of value recovery from Ireland’s ash resource.

WP2 Interaction of other pathogens and endophytes with ash dieback

Previous work in Ireland, Denmark and Poland have found other wood rot and pathogenic fungi are also associated with ash dieback disease. Honey fungus and its relatives and bacterial canker are also problematic pathogens of ash. It is not known if these have a negative or positive impact on dieback disease progression, or their effect on decomposition of the wood of infected trees. Previous work on the microbiome of ash in Ireland and France has discovered and cultured over 100 fungal endophytes from infected and uninfected ash leaves and roots. Some of these are known pathogens and others are known or potential beneficial endophytes with unknown interaction properties with dieback disease. Earlier work by O’Hanlon and Harrington in 2012 identified several macrofungal pathogens of ash forests in Ireland. The objective of this task is to determine the interaction of the ash dieback disease pathogen with other important pathogens of ash and to assess changes in the microbiome with disease progression. The task will include a horizon scan of native and future pathogens of Irish ash (e.g. ash sawfly). The study by Nemesio-Gorriz et al. (2019) in Ireland considered trees of one age, at one site and probably infected in recent times. WP2 will build on this work by sampling trees from several sites, and with differing histories since infection. We will also examine decaying ash leaves and especially their rachises to determine fungal community changes and see if any fungi limit the incidence, growth and sporulation of the pathogen from it’s source of infection (linking to WP3 management of leaf litter as a disease source). Sampling will utilise hedgerow sites selected in Task 1, statutory samples stored in AFBI Belfast collected as part of the Northern Irish DAERA plant health inspections, trees selected from the Future Trees Trust list of ash seed stands, the ash forest and agroforestry sites at AFBI Loughgall (WP3) and an ash provenance site at Roosky Co.

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Roscommon with cooperation from the land owners. These stands will represent genetically diverse trees from an Irish context. Dieback spreads from decaying leaf litter but little is known about how its development in such litter is influenced by other members of the litter microbiome. There is potential to develop biocontrol strategies on such material. Therefore, work will be carried out to determine how the ash leaf litter microbiome influences dieback spore development and spread by assessing the fungal communities of this material and monitoring ascocarp development (comparisons will be made between symptomatic and asymptomatic material). In addition, there will be a comparison of wood degradation results with pathogen infection data (as outlined in WP1). Correlation studies will be made to assess how the pathology of woody material is related to wood degradation/decay.

Task 3 Management and silvicultural methods to minimise the impact of ash dieback There are no empirical field data to demonstrate the efficacy of treatments to reduce the impact of ash dieback on ash trees in forests. Pruning and fungicide treatments may work in urban or amenity cases, but largescale treatment of infected forests remains a challenge. As H. fraxineus is a non-systemic infecting pathogen, the sporulation of the fungus from detached leaf litter is a key part of the disease epidemiology, and represents an opportunity to disrupt the disease cycle. Removing or making this litter unsuitable for the pathogen reduces the spore pressure, resulting in a reduced level of infection in subsequent years. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that management steps which reduce leaf litter quantity or quality will result in less disease risk and reduced pathogen sporulation and to stimulate vitality among the healthier ash trees. This task will capitalise on the large 30+ year old ash forestry and agroforestry platform at AFBI Loughgall, Co. Armagh. This platform offers a unique opportunity to test some of the management actions suggested by researchers to reduce the impact of ash dieback in stands, namely: (i) thinning of the tree canopy to modify the litter microclimate, (ii) reduction of the amount of ash leaf litter or the conditions for apothecia formation via animal grazing, (iii) reduction of the amount of ash leaf litter via urea spreading.

The Future of Ash

To develop an index of disease risk for ash dieback infected forest sites with a major proportion of ash, factors such as spore pressure, suitable microclimate, prevalence of symptomatic trees, mass of ground floor ash leaf litter, and photosynthetic efficiency will be considered. This work will develop an index of disease risk which will be considered against a rating of ash tree vitality. This will include assessments such as (i) spore loads collected in the site on spore traps (glass slides coated with Vaseline); (ii) photosynthetic efficiency of the ash trees (with an assessment of the stocking density and canopy cover at the point of sampling); (iii) ash leaf litter abundance (i.e. mass) on the forest floor; (iv) ground floor temperature and humidity; and (v) visible disease symptoms in trees in collaboration with WP1 (a proportion will be confirmed with species-specific real-time PCR). This information will be statistically analysed and examined against the literature to develop a disease risk rating for Irish conditions. To test the effect of management actions such as thinning, undergrazing and litter treatment, on the disease risk within ash stands, treatment plots will be established in stands of conventionally-forested ash, as well as in agroforestry ash stands in AFBI Loughgall (Figure 3). Plots will be placed in areas of known/identified ash dieback infection where visible symptoms are apparent. Thinning at two intensities will be carried out. The research will investigate whether conversion of forest to agroforestry is efficacious for reducing disease. Sheep will be used to graze plots several times and the impact of this activity on the subsequent disease reinfection the following season will be examined. Monitoring in the Netherlands has shown that there is a higher frequency of infected trees in situations where there is dense ground floor vegetation, particularly in areas of rough grass and previous research by AFBI has shown that sheep grazing in ash plantations effectively reduces the amount of rank herbage on the ground floor. Other plots will be treated with urea to hasten the natural breakdown

of leaf litter. The impact of these treatments on stand disease risk will be measured and compared statistically using linear models against control plots. The results of the work will indicate the extent to which any of the treatments reduce the conditions supportive of ash dieback disease at a local/stand level.

Conclusion

Based on findings from the three WPs, and in conjunction with literature review information, concentrating in particular in Irish, UK and western European sources, guidelines for the practical and silvicultural management of existing ash stands in Ireland will be developed. The main aims will be to optimise the potential for timber recovery from such stands as well as to support the vitality and general productivity of stands. A further aim will be to produce a practical guide for assessing signs of health and vitality which managers and owners can use to identify individual trees or genotypes that show signs of tolerance or resistance to the disease. Should sufficient genotypes be found, there will be a case to be made for creating a register to support and further the work at Teagasc by Douglas and Nemesio-Gorriz (FORM project) in developing resistant ash genotypes for forestry use in Ireland. Authors: • Brian Tobin, Ciaran Duggan - UCD Forestry, University College Dublin. • Trevor R. Hodkinson, Erika Soldi - Botany Department, Trinity College Dublin., • Rodrigo Olave - Agri-Environment branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute. • Richard O’Hanlon - DAFM Plant Health Laboratory, Backweston.

Figure 3: Sheep grazing in an ash silvopastoral system at AFBI Loughgall.

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Commercial Feature Commercial Feature

Rabaud Launch new Xylor range of Forest Mulchers Now available for Demonstration at Home Forestry LLP

ome Forestry llp, UK agents for Rabaud Forestry and agricultural machinery have launched a range of Forest mulchers and mowers. The Rabaud Xylor range of Forest PTO mulchers offer 4 fixed teeth Mulchers with a power requirement from 80-300hp with helical rotor design and changeable counter knives. Working widths range from 2.0 -2.2m. The Rabaud Xylor cutting capacity ranges from 200-400mm diameter material depending on the model. Hydraulic folding rear door and anti-wear adjustable height skids, Front and rear chain protection. There is the option of a Hydraulic clutch to offer protection to the two larger models and hydraulic branch pusher with or without rake teeth. Home Forestry llp will take delivery of the XYLOR 2200/250 T for 175-250hp tractor in June and have it for demonstrations. There are also 3 heavy duty mowers requiring 80-125 hp. A helical rotor with swinging teeth, deigned to mulch material up to 150mm, they come with 1 set of counter teeth as standard with an option for an additional set. Working widths range from 1.8 -2.2m, front and rear chain protection are standard with a fixed scrub pusher frame is an

optional extra. The range is completed with excavator mounted mulching heads designed for excavators from 8-15 and 14-21 tonne. Both have the helical rotors with fixed teeth. The mulcher heads have a capacity of 14cm on the smaller unit to 25cm on the larger head. Working width of the head is 140cm. For more info and prices contact Home Forestry llp, www. homeforestry.co.uk, email nathan@homeforestry.co.uk. 07966365157, 01746718456

Suppliers of new and used forestry firewood and fencing machinery Contact us for a demo at our Forestry Yard

Alstor mini forwarders • Rabaud Firewood processors • Saw benches • Kindling machines • Chain winches • Farma cranes and trailers • Log peelers & pointers • Log splitters 14-80 tonnes • Forest mulchers • Cleaving splitters • Grader blades

New Rabaud Xylotrail forwarding trailers

T. 01746 718456 M. 07966 365157 www.homeforestry.co.uk E. nathan@homeforestry.co.uk Home Forestry llp, Willowdene Farm, Chorley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 6PP 34 86

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GALLINAGH FINN VALLEY NURSERY LTD, GARDEN CENTRE Email: sales@gallinaghnursery.ie Web: www.gallinaghnursery.ie

GROWING & STILL GROWING SINCE 1986 THE MAIN PRIVATE GROWERS & PROVIDERS OF HARDWOODS, CONIFERS, ORNAMENTAL, TREE SHRUBS & ROSES - We also grow and provide Christmas Trees - The ONLY PRIVATE GROWER OF HAWTHORN * LAUREL * BEECH * ESCALLONIA * GRISELINIA AND OTHER SEASIDE & INLAND HEDGING IN THE NORTHWEST We also stock Peatmoss, compost, barkchips, tree stake, tree ties, windbreak (netting) & ground cover

Backleas, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, F93AD62 Proprietor: John Gallinagh Tel: 0749132612 Contact Conor Gallinagh, BAgrSc, Horticulture, 087 6496887 John Gallinagh: 087 6988481

Commercial Feature Commercial Feature

A Family Run Business Established in 1972, Dermot Casey Tree Care Ltd. has evolved from modest beginnings to becoming one of Ireland’s largest and most reputable tree surgery companies.

propelled AHWI RT400 mulching machine – unique to Dermot Casey Tree Care – which has been used on major infrastructure operations over the last decade as well as site clearance and land reclamation contracts for the forestry and agricultural sectors. Always keen to work with the most modern equipment, Dermot Casey Tree Care have invested in purpose-built forestry tractors, coupled with felling grapples and 20” self-propelled chippers. The larger diameter chippers also produce a viable source of biofuel. Dermot Casey Tree Care is the largest arboricultural contractor for ESB Networks’ Overhead Network Vegetation management programme. Experience and accreditations developed within this sector enables Dermot Casey Tree Care to work near overhead networks with a reputable degree of safety and confidence; these skills are transferable into both the commercial and domestic sector. As part of their continued expansion and development, Dermot Casey Tree Care specialise in Timber Harvesting for ESB Networks and the ever-expanding private forestry sector in Ireland.

Staﬀ, Client and Public Safety is Our Priority

ermot Casey Tree Care Ltd. has a proven and successful track record in providing arboriculture and consultancy services to a wide range of commercial organisations, local authorities, state boards and domestic homeowners.

Professional Tree Surgery - Nationwide With so many companies offering tree surgery services at a variety of prices and standards, it is difficult to know who to trust. Dermot Casey Tree Care Ltd. – ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 accredited – has the expertise, training, experience and specialised equipment to cover all aspects of tree surgery. Dermot Casey Tree Care employ an award-winning team of NPTCcertified arborists – all with extensive industrial experience and knowhow. Staff are trained to the highest arboricultural and safety standards and use industrial best practice methodology and equipment. An in-house Safety Officer is tasked with ensuring ongoing audits of crews, equipment checks and safety briefings. Tree felling is conducted in accordance with BS3998: 2010 (Tree Work) and BS5837: 2012 (Design, Demolition and Construction), appropriate Health & Safety Method Statements and the guidance provided by Arboricultural and Forestry Advisory Group Safety. Dermot Casey Tree Care arboricultural services include tree felling, pruning, trimming, mulching, chipping, crown reduction, stump grinding, site clearance, bridge, motorway and railway maintenance, tree surveys and reports. Dermot Casey Tree Hire also offer a 24-hour emergency call out service throughout Ireland. This dedication to our work has earned us a solid reputation for quality, reliability and professionalism.

Specialised Equipment The latest and leading-edge PiCUS Sonic Tomograph is used for tree risk assessments in order to measure the thickness of the residual wall of trees with internal defects such as cavities or decay non-invasively. Constantly upgrading their equipment and fleet, Dermot Casey Tree Care were the first company in Ireland to introduce insulated platform equipment for working safely around live overhead networks and the self36 40

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Dermot Casey Tree Hire is a safety- and performance-driven company, adhering to all guidelines issued by the Health & Safety Authority and are fully compliant with safety legislation. Reliability is underpinned in deploying equipment and machinery that are CE compliant and all working activities are risk-assessed and strategically planned to the highest standards to ensure the health and safety of our operatives, our clients and the general public. It is this innovative and progressive outlook that enables Dermot Casey Tree Care Ltd. to proudly say that they are the safest tree surgery company in Ireland!

Environmental Awareness

Dermot Casey Tree Care Ltd. deems environmental protection as a fundamental part of its business and is fully committed to the prevention of pollution and reduction of its carbon footprint, conducting all its working activities in an energy-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.

dermotcaseytreecare.ie 022 55000 treecare@dermotcasey.com

MASTER.indd 41

27/08/2019 14:10

ESB

Forestry Operations in the vicinity of Overhead Electricity Lines

S death.

afe working practices must be implemented when carrying out forestry work where there are electricity wires and cables. There are no second chances with electricity because these wires are always ‘live’ and even coming close can result in serious injury or

The Electricity At Work - Irish Forestry Safety Guide was recently published by the Health & Safety Authority and here, Arthur Byrne, Public Safety Manager for ESB Networks explains what is required. The fundamental safety principle is to always ensure a safe distance between the area of the electricity wires and where work is taking place. and the falling distance of the tallest tree.

38 52

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The dimension of the Hazard This safe distance is the combination of the Electricity Hazard Zone Zone is either 6 metres or 10 metres, depending on the voltage. The falling distance of the tree is the vertical height of the tallest tree. Based on the distance of the trees from the wires, each tree is categorised as being Red Zone, Amber Zone, or Green Zone. Each of the Zones must be clearly marked using paint or high-visibility tape on the trees. No tree felling is permitted within the Red Zone of an energised overhead electricity line. Extraction machinery , or any part of any machine, load, or tree being processed must never come within the hazard zone.

ESB

The Red Zone is the distance of the Hazard Zone plus one tree length. • For example for a 10,000 volt line, the hazard zone is 6 metres, and if the height of the tallest tree is 20 metres, then the Red Zone is 6 + 20 = 26 metres. No tree felling is permitted within 26 metres, measured either side of the outer electricity wire.

• 4.9 metres in special circumstances for designated forest roads only and where the electricity line height has been measured accurately by a competent person in consultation with ESB Networks, and the measured height is at least 6.0 metres above road level.

Red Zone timber can only be felled if the electricity line is disconnected and earthed. In these circumstances , the following control measures must be in place: • Early consultation with ESB Networks to consider the de-energisation of the electricy network. • On the day of the work, the forestry person in charge ( e.g. Forestry Works Manager) must be in possession of the Declaration of Disconnection/ Permit from the ESB Networks operator before work can commence. • Felled timber must be placed outside the hazard zone to enable safe extraction when the electricity line is re-energised. • Everyone must be clear of the Red Zone before the forestry person in charge ( e.g. Forestry Works Manager issues the Proof of Readiness to the ESB Networks operator for the electricity line to be re-connected. The Amber Zone is one tree length (tallest tree) beyond the Red Zone. Amber zone trees can be felled with the electricity line energised but only in a manner that is away from or parallel to the electricity line. The Green Zone is two tree lengths (tallest tree) beyond the Red Zone. Tree felling, harvesting and chain-saw operation in the Green Zone is permitted with the electricity line energised. Goalposts must be erected where machinery and vehicles pass under an overhead electricity lines. Goal post heights must never exceed: • 4.2 metres.

Where work is taking place in the vicinity of electricity lines and cables, the following are some important additional requirements: • Consult with ESB Networks in advance ( at least 2 months) to discuss harvesting plans. • Written Method Statement/Risk Assessments, including the felling and extraction arrangements. • On-site marking of Red, Amber and Green Zones. • Trained and competent operators. • Forestry personnel must be informed of the dangers from electricity and what to do in an emergency. • Traffic and vehicle movements must be properly controlled.

In an emergency involving work in the vicinity of electricity wires and cables, contact ESB Networks immediately on 1850 372 999

There are other important considerations that you must also take into account. Please read and understand the Guide in full. The Guide is available at: www.hsa.ie Forestry&Energy Forestry&Energy 5339

ECO LOG AND GREMO MERGE

Eco Log and Gremo, two of forestry’s most innovative brands, have strengthened their relationship and have merged to produce the most diverse range of harvesters and forwarders that has ever been produced. This range can cater for any contractor’s needs and demands. The combined experience of the two teams have created a perfect range of machines for every terrain and every forest. All machines will be branded in the Eco Log colours and name. The machine Line-up consists of no less than ﬁve forwarder models with a loading capacity from 8.5 to 20 tonnes. Forwarder Type

Load Capacity

Eco Log 750

8.5 tonnes

Eco Log 1050

10.5 tonnes

Eco Log 1250

12.5 tonnes

Eco Log 574F

14 tonnes

Eco Log 594F

20 tonnes

The already-wide range of Eco Log harvesters will be complemented with a small eight-wheeled harvester; Eco Log 1058, 16 tonnes weight.

UNIT B NURE HOUSE CLONCOLLIG INDUSTRIAL ESTATE TULLAMORE CO OFFALY

CALL LIAM BERGIN 086 607 9564 EMAIL: LIAMBERGINGREMO@HOTMAIL.COM WWW.LBGREMO.COM

ECO LOG IRELAND

Sales and servicing for all Eco Log machines is provided on a nationwide basis. Same day or next day service is facilitated by our team of outstanding ﬁtters and by our strategic location in the Midlands in Tullamore Co Offaly. We have a wide range of parts in stock at all times and have developed a very efﬁcient supply chain that enables overnight delivery of parts when required ensuring that there is minimal disruption to your operations. We provide complimentary advice to all of our customers by phone or video conferencing to enable you to get the most from your machines and to be your partner in business. Contact us to discuss your needs and requirements so that we can develop a bespoke product solution for you and be your trusted partner in forestry. Call us on 086-6079564 to speak with our sales department.

CALL LIAM BERGIN 086 607 9564

Forestry In Crisis

Can Anyone See the Wood from the Trees? Having devoted his life to Forestry one forester gives his views on how we have arrived at this point and the actions required to correct the present situation by Sean Lenihan.

n 1995 there was 2,560 hectares of new private forestry established in County Donegal. In 2020 most experts are predicting that total private afforestation for the entire country will barely exceed 2,500 ha. In that same year 1995, private planting reached a record level of 17,343 ha., and in the following year 1996, a total 16,556 hectares was established. At the other end of the forestry cycle sawmills and other processors are experiencing a serious reduction in log availability, and there is now a significant shortage of Irish sawn timber in many providers and suppliers yards. This is due to the ongoing impasse caused by a tsunami of objections and appeals to felling licences by certain individuals and groups in the past two years. Job losses for contractors, hauliers, foresters and sawmill workers are now inevitable if this continues unabated. So how have we arrived at a situation whereby there was more land planted in one county i.e. Donegal 25 years ago, than will be planted in the whole republic in 2020. How have we arrived a situation where an entire timber processing industry that has been successfully built up over the past 50 years is in danger of shutting down wholly, or partially because of the current circumstances. It is not an exaggeration to say that what has happened to our forest industry is nothing short of catastrophic, and unless far reaching and drastic measures are put in place urgently by the government we are facing a meltdown. Our industry itself however needs to wake up and take action as well, especially on the public relations front. We have allowed various individuals, groups, media commentators and politicians to misrepresent and tarnish our industry with inaccuracies, misleading characterisations, false statements, ignorant comment, myths and which in many cases is downright farcical. By not challenging this narrative forcefully, and consistently with facts and science especially over the past two years, we as an industry are now fighting a rearguard action, and we as forestry professionals are almost regarded as pariahs in the eyes of many people, even sometimes in our own communities. In addition because we haven’t been defending our industry the way we should have been, has emboldened the anti-forestry sector to the point that we now have one political party in the state attempting for the second time to introduce a bill making Planning Permission obligatory for all afforestation proposals over 5 hectares in size. They have also stated that they want SS blacklisted, its status changed to an invasive species, and that no grants or premiums would be paid on the species. It is ironic then that this same party in their recent election manifesto wanted 100,000 new houses built in the next 5 years. Where is the timber for these houses supposed to come from or is it the case that Irish grown SS will also be blacklisted for use in these houses?

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DECLINE IN AFFORESTATION There are many reasons why planting levels have collapsed but the majority of them can be attributed to questionable decisions made in relation to land use. In addition major decisions made based on science at a particular point in time, should now should be reviewed as they resulted in large of tracts of very suitable land effectively being sterilised for forestry. ACID SENSITIVE AREAS The decision by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to introduce Acid Sensitivity in the early Noughties and to classify large areas of Donegal, Kerry, Galway, and Wicklow in this new category had a major impact of planting levels especially in Donegal and Kerry. By 2006 afforestation in Donegal dipped to 230 ha. and by 2018 to 64ha. UNENCLOSED LAND The rules regarding regarding Unenclosed/Unimproved land were changed in 2012 whereby only 20% of any afforestation application could be in this category. By also reducing the grant and premium payments significantly, it effectively ruled out large areas of productive forestry land which in the past would have been planted. Many foresters believe that 1,500 - 2,000 hectares per annum were sterilised as a result. HEN HARRIER SPA’S Approximately 170,000 hectares of land in nine counties were designated as Hen Harrier zones by the National Parks and Wildlife in the late noughties, and in 2015 any new afforestation was ruled out in these areas. INTRODUCTION OF AFFORESTATION LICENCES 2017 Under the Felling Act of 2014 which came into law in May 2017 afforestation applications which heretofore were granted approvals to plant now needed a licence to plant. This enabled the general public to comment on and/or appeal the granting of licences. In addition it became obligatory to erect a Site Notice prior to the application being made. This change has created huge issues for potential growers and foresters, and has resulted in the collapse of afforestation since its introduction in 2017. TAX FREE LAND LEASING The introduction of tax exemptions for farmers leasing land for 5 years or more in 2015 created a major issue for the forest industry as farmers could earn up to €18,000 per annum tax-free or €22,000 p.a for a period of 7-10 years. As the most common forest premium GPC 3

Forestry In Crisis

“As a forester who has established and managed Sitka spruce plantations for 40 years, I can state categorically that they are anything but dead. I encountered wildlife – both vertabrates and invertabrates, on every single day that I worked in a Sitka forest.” averages €206 per acre for 15 years, and with most farm leases ranging from €150 - €250 per acre, it was very difficult to persuade farmers to plant their land when they could receive the same payment from leasing. APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT AA under the EU Habitats Directive and the associated compulsory screening have resulted in massive backlogs, increased objections/ appeals and necessity to submit Natura Impact Statements by an ecologist in many cases. The decision to use a 15 km radius from the proposed planting site as the screening threshold is remarkable and unjustified. This has resulted in the current situation, which can only described as extremely difficult where it is recommended that an NIS be submitted at a cost of €1,000 to €1,500 in conjunction with the application for the licence, whether it is needed or not, in an attempt to shorten the waiting time from 9-12 months to 3 months.

ACTION REQUIRED GOVERNMENT The action required has to come from the very top, and the implementation of the MacKinnon report would be a good start. His findings and recommendations were practical and realistic and his comparisons with current forest policy in Scotland were revealing and very interesting. Our industry which employs 12,000 people needs to hear the Taoiseach or Tánaiste state in the clearest possible terms that commercial forestry is here to stay, and that it going to be supported fully by the government. In addition the message from government should also be that forestry in Ireland does not have to be, and will not be Either/Or – either commercial forestry or native/broadleaf forestry. Going forward we should have a Two -Tier forest policy encompassing two forestry programmes that will be properly funded, promoting new commercial afforestation in one tier, and new native, broadleaf and/or amenity planting in the other. As a country we need the products that commercial forests provide from wood chip to construction timber, and including fencing stakes, post and rail, decking, flooring, MDS and Smartply etc. Birch, hazel and alder will not roof our houses or fence off our fields. Our commercial processing sector needs a minimum of 10,000 ha. planted per annum to sustain production at current capacity. Ideally we should be aiming for 12,500 ha. Ultimately the country needs coniferous softwood, we either grow it ourselves or import it. Which is better for the economy, jobs, our carbon footprint and the environment: To grow it in Wicklow, Cork or Galway, process it in Fermoy, Carlow or Galway and send it out as sawn timber to construction sites or timber yards in the same region OR

To grow it in Latvia or Finland, haul it to sawmill for processing, then haul to the docks in Riga or Oulu for an 8-10 day journey by sea to Dublin or Cork, and then haul it on to end customers all over Ireland? Next, there was no need to introduce a licencing system for afforestation in 2017 and associated site notices. There was a perfectly adequate system pre - 2017 with onerous rules and referral procedures in place, including the possibility of an EIA request for any size area before an approval to plant was considered or granted. The licence to plant, and the opportunities it has given to anti-coniferous groups to object and obstruct has caused a crisis in our industry, and needs to be revoked as a matter of urgency. In relation to felling, there should not be, and should never have been a FL required to carry out normal silvicultural management of both conifer and broadleaf crops i.e. thinning or partial felling. This requirement for an FL for thinning is long overdue a change. PUBLIC RELATIONS Our industry has to challenge and defend itself from the constant stream of misinformation on the mainstream and social media, and in addition publicise and promote our achievements over the past 100 years. To read and listen to their narrative the only tree that has been planted in Ireland over the past 25 years is Sitka spruce and in 100% monocultures. What we don’t read or hear because of our inaction is that there has been 40,000 hectares or 100,000 acres of broadleaves planted since 2000, and that we haven’t being allowed to plant Sitka spruce as a monoculture since 1998. These are not native species is the other big stick that’s used to beat us. Well neither is Beech, Copper Beech, Larch, Lime, Walnut, Monkey Puzzle or Horse Chestnut. Neither are Friesian, Limousin, Belgian Blue, Charolais or Simmental cattle. Neither are most of the dog breeds found in Ireland, and neither are most of the shrubs and plants used in Irish gardens. Why then does forestry have to be the only enterprise or industry restricted to native species. We have to challenge the myths that have become facts now in the public mind e.g.: “Sitka spruce timber is no good” “A Sitka spruce forest is dead – nothing lives there” “Sitka spruce causes rural de-population” We know all the above are untrue. We know all the above statements are false. We have to challenge this and the other myths now, and challenge it forcefully, otherwise we could be the last generation of foresters involved in commercial forest establishment and management in Ireland. Seán J. Lenihan M,Sc.Agr. (For.), Kestrel Forestry Consultants Ltd.

Forestry&Energy

Tree Improvement

The Application Of Genomics To Sitka Spruce Tree Improvement Genomics has considerable potential to accelerate Sitka spruce tree improvement Ireland. Niall Farrelly, Ronan Cashell, Brian Tobin and Shui Zang outline new research into research in the area of forest genetics. GenESIS Research Project

The GenESIS research is a new four year project funded by DAFM and features researchers from Teagasc, UCD, Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway, National Botanic Gardens assisted by Coillte and hopes to document the genetics of Sitka spruce forests in Ireland and develop genotyping tools to assist tree-breeding efforts. The new research involves the development of a new genotyping platform that will be utilised for assessing differences in the genetic makeup of trees, used to assess diversity in Sitka spruce populations, for DNA fingerprinting, and also for genomic selection which has the potential to accelerating tree breeding efforts.

Tree Breeding

Tree breeding strategies aim to select the best trees to use as parents to produce future generations of forests suitably adapted to their environment. In some cases what looks like a good tree could often be a result of a favourable growing environment (good soils, shelter, etc.) rather than its genetic composition (Figure 1). To determine whether a set of desirable characteristics of an individual are a result of its genetic makeup (genotype) or as a result of its interaction with the environment – genetic testing is required. This is especially necessary for tree breeding- to determine the levels of genetic gain that can be expected by using selected individuals. This can be achieved by testing the progeny of selected individuals (plus trees). Seed can be collected from the plus trees and grown in a nursery and the resultant seedlings can be tested to determine if these desirable characteristics are under genetic control (i.e. inherited). Progeny testing often involves laying down multiple experiments to test the seedlings from selected parents (families) under field conditions and evaluating if these families perform better than an unimproved seed lot.

Figure 1: A superior stand of Sitka spruce in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The performance of these trees may be a result of favourable site conditions rather than as a result of superior genetics. 44

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Progeny testing

Progeny tests can be used to evaluate faster growth rates by assessing height and diameter growth or other characteristics of interest such as frost damage, stem form or pest damage. Parent trees are cloned, grafted and placed into a seed orchard to produce improved seed which is available to produce improved seedlings to create new forests with increased vigour (Figure 3). More detailed assessments of stem straightness and wood properties can only be performed as the trees mature and generally assessments can be made to determine if timber from selected trees show a loss in density as a result of increased vigour. More recently, tree-breeding efforts have focused on selecting individuals that may be more suited to growing the forests of the future through being more adapted to future climates. This can be achieved by evaluating the offspring of selected parents and their performance in particular conditions or their resistance to specific pests or diseases. Tree breeding can be a long term process before results can be seen in the forest. For example the Irish Sitka Spruce Tree Improvement programme has been selecting trees with desirable traits since the late 1970’s (Fenessey et al. 2012) and testing the progeny of 458 plus trees in a series of experimental trials planted between 1981 and 1993. Initial selections of 86 improved genotypes occurred after 6 years growth. The parents of selected families were screened for timber density to ensure that there was no loss in timber quality associated with vigour and a smaller breeding population was selected (Thompson, 2103). The research will confirm the long term performance of 86 selected families and the current breeding population (55 families) and assess if there is potential to select families or populations which may have additional timber quality or resilience traits which were not previously evaluated.

Figure 2: A selected Sitka spruce tree (plus tree) showing good vigour, stem properties and straightness, seed is collected and the progeny are tested to determine if genetics or environment are responsible for the good phenotype.

Tree Improvement

Figure 3: An improved Sitka spruce seed orchard in Ballintemple, owned and managed by Coillte Teoranta.

Long term performance of selected families

To confirm the long term performance of selected families in the Sitka spruce breeding programme new measurements of height, diameter are being conducted in the existing progeny trials, to assess if selected families continue to show good performance and continue to show a gain in height and diameter at breast height (dbh) compared to control seed lots (see Figure 4). It will also ascertain if the performance of certain families is less than expected. The re- assessment of existing progeny trials will be useful to assess new timber quality traits on trees nearing maturity (see section on timber quality below) which were not previously available to be evaluated in the Irish tree breeding programme. The project has recruited three post graduate students who are conducting Phd studies into specific areas of genetic diversity, timber quality and genomic selection. Long term gain in dbh and height of selected families % gain height

% gain dbh

Figure 5: Differences in the genetic code of Sitka spruce may be used to assess levels of genetic diversity in Sitka spruce populations which may contain valuable traits that can be used to breed trees that are taller, stiffer, straighter, more resistant to insect pests and more adapted to future climates

stronger pest resistance. To assess genetic diversity in Sitka spruce the research will first study the genetic diversity in the natural range of Sitka spruce over a 3,000 km range from Alaska to California. To achieve this cambium samples (bark samples) have been taken for DNA isolation from the JFK conservation collection in Co. Wexford representing Sitka spruce’s indigenous range. An assay will be developed which allows the DNA to be compared for all the trees in the collection to determine the degree of relatedness among genotypes, ultimately it will assess if trees from different geographic regions differ substantially in their genetic composition (Figure 5). Effectively the assay will be used to identify where differences in the genetic code occur by targeting specific locations of the Sitka spruce genome. The research will assess the genetic diversity in the current breeding population and the background levels of genetic diversity in the natural range of Sitka spruce. Another valuable tool is genetic fingerprinting which may allow the identification of unknown origins or populations to known origins based on their DNA profile. Paternal testing to assess what parents are good seed producers to test for seed orchard efficiencies (Figure 3).

New Assessment of timber quality

Figure 4: Long term performance of selected Sitka spruce families in the Coolgreaney 6/88 experiment, showing height and diameter (dbh) gain over the control seed lot.

Assessment of genetic diversity

To assess the extent of genetic diversity within the breeding populations GenESIS will assess levels of genetic diversity in the breeding population to compare with the native range of Sitka spruce. Higher levels of genetic diversity may be desirable in breeding populations, as the additive nature of traits such as height and pest resistance means that a more genetically diverse breeding population is more likely to achieve greater gains in height or

More recently tree programs have expanded their objectives to include wood characteristics such as bending strength and enhanced mechanical properties. The GenESIS project is using nondestructive methods to assess timber quality of selected families and measurements have been conducted on a subset sample trees in the progeny trial at Coolgreaney. These measurements include acoustic velocity (Figure 5) and Pilodyn penetration depth. Acoustic velocity is a good predictor of modulus of elasticity (MOE) and Pilodyn is commonly used to estimate the density of standing trees. Relatively high correlation between acoustic velocity measurements and MOE, Pilodyn penetration depth and wood density have been reported. In addition, cores have been collected from the same trees and are being analysed by the WinDENDRO™ system which provides information on the development of ring width, density, and other mechanical properties. Results from non-destructive measurements and core measurements will then be compared to determine if vigour and timber quality are negatively correlated or if variability in mechanical properties within Sitka spruce populations could be included in future breeding populations without affecting other desirable traits.

Forestry&Energy

Tree Improvement compiled in order to assemble a comprehensive dataset of phenotype (trait) data. To assess the potential of genomics-assisted breeding we will associate the traits with GBS data to determine if differences in the DNA profile of genotypes can be linked to differences in a trees performance. The GBS analysis will be used to assess the potential of GS to identify genotypes that may show improvements in certain traits such as vigour, timber quality or aphid resistance and be suitable for future breeding work and could be used to prioritise a list of crosses in the breeding programme.

New Resilience Traits

Figure 6: The JFK Sitka spruce conservation collection contains trees whose origins cover a geographic distribution of 3,000 km. Cambium samples from over 1000 trees have been collected by the GenESIS project and will be used to assess genetic diversity in Sitka spruce.

The potential of Genomic selection

Advances in genotyping have led to the emergence of genomic selection (GS), a method for maximising the gain in an additive trait achieved from selective breeding. GS uses models built by estimating the effect of alleles (a variant form of a gene) on the trait in question, and generally are made more accurate by including more instances of allelic variation. Genomic selection has to date been successfully employed in animal and plant breeding. While conifers, such as spruces, have traditionally been avoided for genomic analysis due to their large genomes in favour of species with much smaller genomes such as Eucalyptus, the advances which allow for GS also allow for the identification of alleles at densities necessary to carry out GS. GS works well where there is sufficient data on the performance of progeny and with the collection of additional data from progeny trials and opportunity exists to assess the potential to use GS to inform the potential gain that might be achievable from crossing parents whose progeny have good performance, this may result in more informed crossing decisions and improved gains in height or diameter growth of progeny. Genotype data has been derived from 215 genotypes of Sitka spruce covering tree in the current Sitka spruce breeding population (in Ballintemple Nursery in Co. Carlow) by way of Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and tree from the original plus tree collection selected from 1972 to 1990. To complement the genotype data, a vast quantity of historical information together with data on the current performance of these genotypes has been

Figure 8: Seedlings of Sitka spruce from British Columbia to California being grown in the glasshouse in Teagasc Ashtown. These seedlings will be subjected to screening for drought tolerance and insect resistance in future experiments under the GenESIS research project.

Figure 7: Testing timber quality of Sitka spruce families using a TreeSonic™ (left) which measures time of flight between two probes and has been linked to bending strength of timber (middle photo) and ring width analysis using the WinDENDROM™ system.

Forestry&Energy

Tree Improvement While performance and timber quality traits are very important, our forests are becoming increasingly challenged by the effects of climate change and pests and diseases, and there is a realisation among forest scientists that forest reproductive material needs to be adapted to future climatic conditions and be more resilient to biotic threats. Accumulation of traits that may prove useful in increasing resistance occurs naturally in trees as it does in virtually all other living organisms, but breeding without consideration for these traits risks their exclusion from breeding populations. Climate change necessitates that future forests are resilient so that they can continue to supply the ecosystem goods and services, including timber and carbon well into the future. Therefore the GenESIS research also aims to assess if Sitka spruce populations show differences in drought

tolerance or resistance from insect pests. We have assembled a range of seed origins representing a portion of the natural distribution from British Columbia to California together with origins currently used in Irish forestry (Figure 8) and aim to screen these for drought tolerance in a controlled glass house experiment and conduct a controlled feeding experiment using pine weevil (Hylobius abeitus) in 2022 to assess if resilience traits exist in Sitka spruce populations and whether or not Irish breeding populations have this resistance. Ultimately the research hope to provide valuable information that will assist to improve Sitka spruce planting stock that will result in faster growing trees that utilise resources efficiently increasing carbon sequestration and storage. The increased use of wood and greater levels of recovery of harvested wood products will play a key role

Forestry&Energy

Tree Improvement to offset emissions from carbon intensive materials and maximise the contribution of forests to reducing our carbon footprint while ensuring the next generation of planting stock is sufficiently diverse and adapted to cope with the uncertainties of climate change.