Nicola Arndt und Matthias Pohl - Neobiota

Table 3: Principal potential forest types and the appropriate tree species for planting in order to create new
woodlands.
Woodland type Tree species
Montane birch forests (C16) Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia
Quercus petraea forests (F1, F2)
Quercus petraea-bluebell woods (F32)
Oak-ash forests with hazel and hazel-ash
forests (F28, 29)
Quercus petraea, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Ilex
aquifolium
Quercus petraea, Betula pubescens, Fraxinus excelsior, Sorbus
aucuparia, Ilex aquifolium, Corylus avellana
Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Betula species, Corylus, Ilex
aquifolium, Crataegus monogyna
Alluvial forests (U7) Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Alnus glutinosa, Corylus,
Oak-alder-ash forests with willow (U23) Crataegus, Salix cinerea ssp. oleifolia, Ilex aquifolium
Degraded raised bogs (T7)
Betula species, Ilex aquifolium, Sorbus aucuparia, Alnus, Fraxinus,
Salix
This is a major new initiative, which, if successful, will ensure the survival of existing woodlands and
increase the area covered by native trees within the country by more than 15 % of present cover in the
medium term. The scheme was launched in 2001 and there is already considerable interest from
landowners. For Ireland it is a very innovative scheme involving close co-operation between foresters,
ecologists and landowners. A major training programme for site assessment is being undertaken, in
particular to enable surveyors to predict the potential natural vegetation so that the correct assemblage
of species will be selected. It is hoped that the principles of the scheme will be extended to other areas,
e.g. planting native species on new roadside verges to replace the present practice of planting nonnative
species, which are often inappropriate both from an ecological and landscape point of view.
6 Conclusion
The publication of the Map of the Natural Vegetation of Europe comes at a very opportune time in the
context of land use in Ireland. Several decades of intensification of agriculture combined with the
current economic boom have had a major, mostly negative impact on the environment. Deleterious
effects include overgrazing and erosion of the uplands, afforestation of blanket peats, pollution of
lakes and rivers and destruction of various habitats, including native woodlands, for agriculture,
housing and infrastructure (STAPLETON et al. 2000). Positive developments include the ratification of
EU and other international legislation, particularly the Convention on Biodiversity and the EU
Habitats Directive, and updating of national legislation relating to wildlife conservation. In particular
the Convention on Biodiversity has been adopted into the National Development Plan and this,
together with the Water Framework Directive and the increased awareness of the importance of
conserving and expanding native woodlands, should have a positive impact on the environment. The
Map of the Natural Vegetation of Europe should prove to be a useful tool in future landuse planning.
References
ANONYMOUS (1997): Sustainable development – a strategy for Ireland. – Dublin (Government
Publications).
ANONYMOUS (2000a): Code of best forest practice. – Dublin (Forest Service).
ANONYMOUS (2000b): Irish National Forest Standard. – Dublin (Forest Service).
368