Sir, – Una Mullally claims that “Spruce trees and conifers play a particular role in wildfires” (“Irish forests must be freed from the sitka spruce”, Opinion & Analysis, July 25th). She builds her case on the Killarney National Park fires last April where “Some 2,500 to 3,000 acres were ravaged”.
However, the fact that sitka spruce or other conifers played no part in the origination and spread of these wildfires is not mentioned in her article.
She must surely know that the Killarney fires, like most wildfires, were started by careless or illegal burning of vegetation, often far from forests. These fires then spread rapidly through native hill and mountain vegetation, mainly because the practice of protective or strip burring has ceased in many parts of Ireland and as a result cumulative layers of highly combustible fuel vegetation build-up.
These fires can – and sadly do – eventually reach and burn forests but blaming spruce and conifers for being in the path of devastating fires is inaccurate.
Likewise, her conclusion that “sitka spruce has to go” ignores the benefits of this versatile species and the major social, economic and environmental role it plays.
She is right about creating a viable native woodland resource. The increase in broadleaf planting from 5 per cent of all afforestation during the last century to over 30 per cent since 2000 shows that progress is well under way. However, sitka spruce and other conifers outperform these species in terms of carbon sequestration in the forest and also carbon storage after forest use when they displace fossil-based materials in house building and furniture manufacture.
Conifers planted today will be used in construction within 20 to 30 years whereas broadleaves will not mature until the next century. Broadleaves will have a role to play in the manufacture of furniture and other products but not in construction which is a major greenhouse gas emitter. Farmers and other landowners who plant conifers and broadleaves know well the value of both species in creating a multipurpose forestry resource and achieving net zero by 2050. – Yours, etc,
PAT O’SULLIVAN,
Technical Director,
Society of
Irish Foresters,
Glenealy,
Co Wicklow.