Problems Associated with Afforestation and Reforestation Sites

(with particular reference to site factors)

Mick KeaneResearch & Environment

Coillte

Tullamore, 4th June 2008

www.coillte.ie

Assumptions

1. The correct species has been chosen for the site

2. Concentrate on the establishment phase

3. Based on a combination of experience and audits

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Outline of Presentation

• What are the potential problems?• What are the requirements?• Costs• Audits• Conclusions

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QualityPlants

NurseryProduction

Growing, sorting,packaging

Transport

PlantingOn-siteStorage

Post PlantingCare

Free-to-growplantation

RegenerationPlans

Est. Team

Nurseries

Contractors

Planting Chain

Coldstorage?

QualityPlants

NurseryProduction

Growing, sorting,packaging

Transport

PlantingOn-siteStorage

Post PlantingCare

Free-to-growplantation

RegenerationPlans

Est. Team

Nurseries

Contractors

Planting Chain

Coldstorage?

Post PlantingCare

Potential Problems in the Establishment Phase

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Problem Afforestation RestockingPoor plant quality X X

Poor plant handling X X

Planting out of season X X

Frost, drought X X

Fire X X

Farm animals X X

Wildlife X X

Vegetation X X

Diseases X X

Insects ? X

Potential Problems in the Establishment Phase

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Problem Afforestation RestockingPoor plant quality X X

Poor plant handling X X

Planting out of season X X

Frost, drought X X

Fire X X

Farm animals X X

Wildlife X X

Vegetation X X

Diseases X X

Insects ? X

+ Combination of Factors & Operational Reasons

Poor Plant Quality

• A lot of research work done in UCD over the last 15 years on seedling physiology

• Very good baseline data now exists for many species

• We have now introduced the results into a commercial plant testing process in our nurseries

• Plants sampled in the previous 7 days are processed in a small lab on site

• Results sent to Nurseries and Establishment team weekly

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Poor Plant QualityKillygordon ID Crop Date last Dormancy Storage grade Date lifted Sample Sampe this wee

Number tested and passed Status QI from storageAL-UK403-F04 2001 01/08/08 Cold store 2002AL-IECKB-F37 2002 03/05/08 Cold store 3 30-45 07/03/2008 high voliume cropsAL-IELH-F40 2003 01/08/08 Cold storeBL-IEDONE-B15 2004 01/08/08 Cold storeBW-UK403-F02 2005 01/08/08 Cold storeLN-UKNT13-E125 2008 11/12/07 Cold storeLN-UKNT17-F71 2009 13/03/08 Cold store 1 ? ?LS-IEWW-E148 2010 19/02/08 Cold store 4 ? ?

2010 13/03/08 Cold store 2 ? ?LS-IEWXT-F58 2011 01/04/08 Cold store 2 ? ?LS-IEWXC-F60 2012 13/03/08 Cold store 3 ? ?JL-DKFP601-C19 2013 01/08/08 Cold storeSQ-DKFP622-E12 2014 29/04/2008 Cold store 3 40/70 26/02/2008IW-DKFP611-C90 2015 19/12/07 Cold storeIW-DKSOUND-E97 2016 22/1/08 Cold storeIW-DKSOUND-E97 2017 1/4/08 Cold store 2 ? ?IW-DKFRE-E96 2018 22/1/08 Cold store

2018 14/5/08 Cold store 3 40-60 08/04/2008IW-DKFP611-C90 2019 13/3/08 Cold store 2 40/60 20/02/2008IW-DKFRE-E96 2020 9/4/08 Cold store 3 40-60 5/3/2008

9/8/08 Cold store 3 40/60 05/03/2008SW-DKFRE-E96 2020 27/11/07 Cold store 1 ? ?IW-DKFP611-C90 2021 19/12/07 Cold storeIW-DKFRE-E96 2026 13/11/07 Hot liftXW-IEKILM-G502 5303 ex Ballintemple Cold store 2 40-65 10/03/2008

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Poor Plant Handling

• What happens once a good plant leaves the nursery gate?

• The responsibility then rests with the Establishment Forester and/or the contractor

• Less control over operations compared to the nursery

• Because of other pressures, some plants may not get planted as quickly as they should

• Potential losses can be very difficult to detect in subsequent audits

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Planting out of season(Northwest experience)

• Many years of research have shown the optimum time to lift, cold store or plant many species

• Another major factor which interacts with this is the influence of site – as seen from this conference today

• Experiences from Establishment colleagues in the northwest, particularly from plantations on exposed sites

• Browning and mortality experienced in many crops planted in the November to February planting window

• Much better results from planting cold store stock into June

• BUT contrast this with experience in southeast?

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Drought• March – April – May 2007 period

• Sites getting very dry and weevil rampant

• Mounds drying out and getting very difficult to plant

• It can be difficult to switch a contractor base on and off

• In affor, the farmer may be anxious to get his/her site planted

• Manager may have to be selective about what sites are planted

• Plant handling and length of on site storage is crucial in these situations also

• Role of cold store to hold plants until conditions change

• Survey of areas planted in May 2006 –drought + weevil

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Pesticide Usage in Coillte Forests

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

year

kg a

.i./h

a

Colin Palmer

Insect(s)

• The one area where afforestation and restock differ significantly

• This is due to the large pine weeviland the mortality (50-100%) it can cause on restock sites

• Only significant control available at the moment is through use of registered insecticides

• The emphasis has always been on minimum use – we do not use helicopters!!!

• Recent pressures – both commercial and environmental

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Insect(s)

Coillte must keep abreast of new approaches to alternatives to pesticides

Whatever these approaches, they must be efficient and cost effective

Most work going on in control of pine weevil

We are currently looking at:

• Decision Support Systems• Fallowing• Fungi• Nematodes

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Declan Ward

Operational Factors

• Often forgotten about in purely science based surveys (not biological factors)

• Management decisions to suspend planting during e.g. very dry conditions or after a particular date in late spring –better approach now

• Potential problems from reduced levels of cultivation

• Supervision of cultivation and planting operations – are enough plants being planted on Day 1?

• Specific problems with certain species or stock types

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What are the stocking requirements?

1. Forest Service2. Coillte3. FSC

Afforestation• Very exact and

comprehensive for the various grant schemes

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Restock• Requirements under the

General Felling Licence mirror those of Affor. Schemes

• Use of natural regeneration needs clarification

+ Requirements for quality timber production and biodiversity

Costs(where we stand internationally)

Establishment Cost (€)/seedling

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

Canada(Quebec)

Sweden South SouthernUSA

Ireland Britain NewZealand

Canada(BC)

Denmark Australia

• Coillte to spend €10-15million/year (direct costs) on restock over the coming years

• Need to benchmark our establishment costs

• How do we compare -cost/ha takes into account stocking levels

• What are the real costs to bring to “free to grow”?

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Audits

Many different audits carried out in Coillte over the years

These have ranged from:

1. Simple counts to ascertain plant requirements for filling in to

2. Statistically based detailed audits to

3. Surveys of attitudes of end users – managers and contractors

In recent years, all three types have been used

The timing of these audits is crucial in order to attempt to identify causes of plant mortality

What role is natural regeneration going to play in stocking into the future?

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Audits

Most recent Coillte audit has taken place over the winter of 2007/2008

Very comprehensive, statistically based restock audit

First audit in Coillte to use GPS technology

Report in process of being written at the moment

Important factors influencing final stocking are:

• Brash• Weevil• Low initial stocking• Unknown• + Exposure, wetness, vegetation

Decreasing importance

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Future Developments

• Long term contracts• Role of pesticides• Brash removal for

fuel• Species selection –

from top or bottom?• Future weather and

climate

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Conclusions

• The key question to get right is matching the species/provenanceto the site – this conference

• Establishment success is secondary but can be costly

• In looking at establishment costs, it is essential to look at full establishment to “free to grow”

• Natural regeneration will play an increasingly important role into the future

• Audits are a useful way of measuring success and some can identify reasons for failure

• Surveys which combine science with experience of site managers are best

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Thanks

• Jim Crowley & Nick Ryan + Coillte Establishment staff

• Paul Clinch & Joe Finn (Plant audits - Coillte)• John Connelly & Séamus Dunne (Forest Service)

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