Peatland Issues
| Forestry |
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Forestry
Trees, especially alder and willow, occur naturally on
fens, but in current climatic conditions trees are not generally
a natural feature of bogs in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Several species of conifer have been planted on bogs throughout
Europe but all require drainage and nutrient inputs for
reasonable growth. In the post-war years the planting of
large areas of forestry was largely directed towards the
agriculturally poor and mostly upland soils, which resulted
in large areas of blanket bog being planted with conifers.
This was encouraged by:
- the low commercial value of blanket bogs
- the availability of blanket bogs for purchase
- the belief that fertilisers could overcome peat's deficiencies
as a growing medium
Approximately 20% of blanket bog in
Northern Ireland has been lost to forestry, accounting for
up to 40% (around 30,000ha) of the Forest
Service estate. Dependant on peat type and tree species
(typically Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine), afforestation
causes changes to the physical and chemical properties of
peatlands:
-
| Red
Grouse |
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High tree canopies bring about structural changes to the
landscape.
- Mature trees act as an invasive seed sources in neighbouring
peatlands, both in the uplands and lowlands.
- Conifer plantations on blanket bogs are likely to have
had a negative effect on bird species that depend on large
tracts of open ground for nesting or feeding, such as
red grouse,
golden plover
and dunlin.
Since the 1980s Forest
Service policy on afforestation has been substantially
revised to exclude blanket bog and lowland raised bog habitats,
as well as other important open habitats including heaths
and species rich grasslands. This policy has also been applied
to the grant-aiding of private planting. The
Forest Service has recently formulated a strategy for
the restoration of priority open habitats adjacent to designated
sites, which will contribute to the Northern Ireland Biodiverstiy
Strategy.
