Sir, – Rewilding is a solution to many of the problems afflicting the landscape of Ireland but should we exclude non-native species?
Try to imagine an Ireland without non-indigenous trees such as beech, chestnut, sycamore and lime or other now familiar plants such as Fuchsia or Montbretia.
Until very recently that list would also have included the Scot’s Pine which was presumed to have been extinct in Ireland following the last Ice Age until a remnant native colony was discovered in Co Clare.
There is a natural process of species migration effected by climate change and it has been estimated that temperature zones are currently moving northwards at a rate of 420m per year. The concept that any non-native species introduced since the last Ice Age shouldn’t be considered suitable for the Irish landscape is unjustified ecological chauvinism.
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As our climate warms we will need to increase biodiversity so that in the event of devastating diseases such as ash die back, Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, sudden oak death, etc we will have other species that can fill the voids left in their wake.
– Yours, etc,
TOM GELLETLIE,
Rathnew,
Co Wicklow.