Reforestation, a mixed issue.

azezil

While no one would disagree that trees are necessary for a healthy environment, government schemes of mass plantations of single types of trees may in fact harm the environment.
All forests store carbon. This carbon is released when they are destroyed or burned. Currently, up to a fifth of greenhouse gases are thought to come from biomass burning, both through accidental fires and, increasingly, as a result of the use of fire for land clearance or to cover up illegal activities such as logging in protected areas.
Protection of threatened forests and reduction of the impacts of logging and agricultural development are important ways of reducing the contribution of forests to carbon emissions. In addition, the creation or enhancement of new carbon sinks through tree planting has been suggested as a way of offsetting some greenhouse gas emissions. Through various forms of trading encouraged by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), companies and countries could sponsor forestry projects to offset their carbon emissions. While in theory this could provide useful funds for forest conservation, it remains controversial. Many environmentalists fear that offset projects might encourage bad forestry practice—for example, providing incentives for the replacement of natural forests with fast growing plantations of non-native species. Because natural forests store more carbon than plantation forests, this replacement results not only in the loss of important old growth habitat, but also in a net addition of carbon to the atmosphere.

Boston

these mass plantation schemes are about getting the msot out of land that would otherwise not be used, were ment to get up to 20% forested sometime this decade

its all economics so dont delude yourself it has anything to do with nature campaigners

Victor

Coillte (http://www.coillte.ie/) are introducing more species (broadleafs in particular) in new planting. However, conifers still remain the main types demand and are more efficient for human use (softwoods are much easier to work in construction). I think a balance needs to be reached.

mike65

I have a small investment in a forrestry scheme which is a mixed programme of broadleaf and pines. I'd love to see more
emphisis on broadleaf woodland as it provided everything the
eco system requires whereas pines have a very "narrow"
reason to exist here - money. In fact countryside isnt proper countryside unless you can see ash, oak, and the like.

The government had its millenium tree planting scheme, was that broadleaf or pine or a mix?.

Mike.

Typedef

Mike : http://www.2000ireland.ie/pressrelease/display.asp?ID=6
Tree Council of Ireland : http://www.treecouncil.ie/

Big Brother:
"I am reliably informed by the Tree Council of Ireland that the current tree cover in Ireland is 9 per cent while the Government target is for cover of 15 per cent. I am confident that decisions taken over the coming months by the National Millennium Committee will also play a significant part in further increasing tree cover for the benefit of this generation and the generations who will live their lives solely in the next millennium.".

Needless to say I think reforestation is not just a great idea, but vital to the well being of the ecology of this planet as a whole. One really big argument that can be made for the virtues of reforestation is that in order to promote biodiveristy one thing that is needed badly is a plethora of large contiguous regions where flora a fauna alike can develop in non-isolated 'islands' of conglomeration.

Simple facts are that some of the most asthetically pleasing and relaxing places I have ever been have been coniferous forests and the few ones of any reasonable size in Ireland that I have been to are places not just of national, but international, pan human heritage if you will.

On a very clinical scale, trees are one of the essential components of conversion of carbon dyoxide to oxygen and therefore trees not only produce the atmosphere we humans breathe but also help to negate the destructive affects of human industrial activities and emissions.

This last point is what kept Japan and some other countries 'on-board' with the Kyoto protocol, the notion that extensive forrests 'absorb' some greenhouse gases.

The logging industry is I accept part of human society, but one of the reasons that it is such an anthema to environmentalism is that rarely if ever do the trees that are felled, get replaced by logging/paper industries and the fact is with really minimal investment, a co-existance could be derived between logging practices and reforrestation.

Myself, if I ever get independance of a sufficient nature I would ideall like to inhabit a house in the midst of some kind of coniferous surrounding, because I personally find those kinds of trees amazing and something for people to treasure and admire for what they are.

Reforrestation makes sense not just for environmentalism, but for business too, the more trees that exist the less effort will have to be made to find and transport trees and so,on. Like I say with intellegent reforrestation and logging in designated areas where logging never exceeds and is preferably significantly less than reforrestation. Plus I would support the creation of much bigger and larger numbers of designated 'protected' coniferous forrests as places of environmental conservation and heritage.

smiles

Originally posted by mike65
[BI'd love to see more emphisis on broadleaf woodland as it provided everything the eco system requires whereas pines have a very "narrow" reason to exist here - money. In fact countryside isnt proper countryside unless you can see ash, oak, and the like.

The government had its millenium tree planting scheme, was that broadleaf or pine or a mix?.
[/B]

Broadleaf i think.

There's a big forest next door to me, or at least there used to be, they're cutting down all the pine trees and doing a replanting of broadleaf ones. I wouldnt mind if it made have been a gradually staged thing, but they seem tobe cutting down half the forest at a go! *grrrr*

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