- A sustainable forest is a forest that is carefully looked after.
- Trees that have been cut down are replaced with seedlings that grow into mature trees.
Sustainable Exploitation of Forestry in Ireland
- Coillte is an Irish organisation that owns and manages 7% of the land in Ireland.
- It was set up in 1989 and it has helped increase the amount of forests covering Ireland from 1.5% to 11%.
- Coillte makes sure that forestry in Ireland is done in a sustainable way.
- This is how this is done:
- Saplings are planted.
- When forests reach a young age they are used for human activities, such as camping.
- Middle-aged forests are used for cutting down trees.
- Old-age forests are cut down entirely.
The Value of Forestry in Ireland
Environmental value: Trees convert harmful carbon dioxide into oxygen. In a year, one acre of forest can absorb six tonnes of carbon dioxide and release four tonnes of oxygen.
Economic value: Coillte contributes €4.2 billion to the Irish economy every year.
Social Value: There are 12,000 people currently employed by Coillte in Ireland.