Native forests for upland areas

phelim_d · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 2:02 pm Post subject: Native forests for upland areas

Hi all
does anyone know if Ireland is planning major upland restoration of forest to any of the mountain ranges we have?
Or are we going to leave them bare?
Coilte had a go with pines in the 80s, and that is not very pretty, though better than nothing. But what about having thousands of hectares covered in oaks birch, scots pines etc?
The Scottish are doing it, why can't we?
P

Greengage · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:37 pm Post subject:

what about our upland birds, Merlin, Grouse etc...

phelim_d · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 8:52 am Post subject:

Grouse etc are what the landlord class mentality wanted us to keep.
And the EU. We had forests stuffed with animals from bears to the great Irish elk.
But now we are keeping the hills bare for what exactly? Preserving the wild for a few species and neglecting the majority (in their absence) does not make sense.

Check out the restoration of the Scottish Caledonian Pine Forest and listen to their TV debates on Youtube, the Scots are streets ahead of us in looking after their environment...

And streets ahead in debating the issue too.
They seem to be heading towards reintroducing lynx and boars, and maybe wolves too. Imagine the mess we'd make of that here? We'd have to have a semi private company called Irsh Boars to tag and meter them just to cash in on the plans Smile

Greengage · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:22 pm Post subject:

You may enjoy this story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_7yEPNUXsU
its a lovely story when you have watched it have a look at this another myth.

http://thesightofmorning.blogspot.ie/2013/02/the-man-who-planted-trees.html
Last year we had some one on here who was going to plant a million trees in Ireland when I questioned that it turned out another myth search the article to fined the story.

phelim_d · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:37 pm Post subject:

Haha, yes, I liked that story indeed. And it was not based on a true story, if I get your meaning.
However mass restoration of native woodland is nothing new. South American countries are doing it.
Imagine a lot of the Middle East once had forests?

And (I don't have paper based science evidence for this at hand) watching a BBC doc on climate change recently, humans have prevented the over due ice age since they/we started clearing forests and the oceans out (since the last 11 thousand years).

We are well beyond the point where we can stop. We have to stop and back track or the climate (Gaia if you will) won't cope...

Greengage · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:35 pm Post subject:

Supposing we get hit by a meteorite, supposing 6 volcano's erupt at the same time supposing all the permafrost melts and the methane in the soil is released,
We are only here for approx 80 years if were lucky what are we going to achieve in that time that will effect climate, no dont tell me im not interested, enjoy life and what you see, we are an Island behind an Island at the edge of a continent, i could go on and on but thats me out of this conversation best of luck with your campaign.