Transformation of Plantations to Diverse Woodlands through Continuous Cover Forestry with Julius

On this field trip, we will visit a plantation beside the Ancient Native Woodland at Caher, Lough Graney. The conifer plantation is in the early stage of transformation from a monoculture to a mixed broadleaf-conifer forest, with the option of being transformed into a native woodland eventually. This is being done through selective logging methods also known as Continuous Cover or Close-to-nature or Irregular forestry. Hereby the plantation is opened up with periodic thinnings, enhancing tree quality, biodiversity and other ecosystem services over time, without ever clear-felling the forestry. The plantation comprises predominantly sitka spruce, but also monocultures of larch are present. The owner chooses different ways of transformation with both of these mono-cultures respectively. The walk will also go through the neighbouring oak plantation with scotch pine (covering some broadleaf management) and the Ancient Native Woodland with oaks more than 200 years old.   Some of the topics that are covered & discussed: