Irish forests

1. Irish forests A project by 4th and 5th class

2. Silviculture • Silviculture is the growing of trees • The Irish State Forestry department is called CoillteTeoranta • The word “coillte” means woodlands • 70% of all iris forests are owned by Coillte. • Trees grow better in good soil than in bad soil. • Leitrim is suitable for the growing of trees due to its damp soil conditions. • Land that was once covered by bog is often used for silviculture.

3. Coniferous trees • They are evergreen trees • The leaves fall off when old but grow back straight away • The Sitka Spruce is the most common coniferous tree in Leitrim.

4. Sitka spruce • The sitka spruce is the most common tree in Ireland • The sitka spruce is a coniferous tree • Their timber is used for fences, roofing, floors and tools • Many of the coniferous trees are not native to Ireland e.g sitka spruce • Sitka spruce is used for firewood, woodpellets for burners • Saw dust from the sitka spruce is used for the bedding of livestock • As it is a soft wood it grows quicker and it is less expensive than hardwoods • The sitka spruce is the most common tree planted by state forestry Coillte

5. DECIDUOUS TREES • They are usually broad leaf trees. • Their leaves fall off in autumn. • They live to be a hundred years old. • It’s a hard wood and it’s more expensive than soft wood • Most of them are native to Ireland like oak, ash and birch • Some non-native broadleaf trees are beech and hornbeam.

6. Foresters Most Irish forests have a 40 year cycle. A forester protects forests against insects, disease and fire. The foresters preserve wildlife and supervise grazing, and help to guard the forest. They help supervise at camping sites and picnic areas.

7. Birch • Birch trees may grow in pairs or clusters • The silver birch is grown in Ireland • They grow in peaty soils • Birch nutlets are small and grown in a cone • They have a thin bark with peels in horizontal layers • Other trees are the yellow birch, river birch, sweet birch and gray birch

8. Ash trees • Ash is a hard wood tree • Ash trees can prevent soil erosion • Ash wood is hard strong and is used in the making of shovel ,hoe and rake handles. • In Ireland ash is used in the making of hurleys • Hurleys can vary in length from 61 cm to 94 cm • The game of hurling is better known as the “clash of the ash” • In Ireland there are two different types of ash, (a) the mountain ash, (b) the lowland ash

9. THE OAK TREE • The oak is a broadleaf tree. • The oak timber produced is hard wood. • The oak is a native tree to Ireland. • The Vikings used oak wood to build their ships. • There are 600 different species of oak. • Oak trees can live for 800 years.

10. Habitats of the forest • There are four habitats in the forest. • 1. The canopy is the tops of the trees. • 2. The shrub layer has small trees and shrubs. • 3. The ground layer with flowering plants and animals. • 4. Leaf litter with dead leaves and animals such as earthworms and hedgehogs.

11. Fencing and wood uses • Wood is used for fencing on farms and motorways • These fences are for keeping cattle of the motorway • Fences are made from oak, dougles fir, larch and pine. • Wood is used for poles to carry electricity and telephone wires. • Fences and gates are made in different types of ways

12. Firewood and energy (products) • Wood is a renewable source of energy • Timber produces 30% more heat than fossils fuels (coal gas oil peat) • Certain timbers may be used to make timber products like tables, chairs, sleigh beds, instruments and shelves • There are 4 types of fuel 1. cut timber 2. chipwood 3. sawdust 4. wood pellets and briquettes