An informative day to learn about the early stages of transformation to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) in farm forest conifer plantations with a leading Irish forester | researcher | educator, Ted Wilson and international forestry expert, Pavel Bednar, from Pro Silva Bohemica (Czech Republic).
Date: Saturday April 27, 2019
Meeting Time:
10.30 AM for 11 amstart, expected finish approx. 3.30 PM
Directions:
Please follow Pro Silva Ireland Event Signs from Ashford and Moneystown (these are the nearest towns / villages). The closest eircode for Ballycullen Woodland is for Ballycullen Lodge A67 RR83, Co. Wicklow. Please note: The woodland entrance is the next driveway up from the lodge and will be signposted. Do not park at Ballycullen Lodge!
Lunch:
Participants should bring a packed lunch and be dressed for the outdoors!
As usual at Pro Silva Ireland field days we will be collecting a voluntary contribution (suggested as €20) towards the running of field days and other events.
Ballycullen Woodland History
The Ballycullen woodland is managed on behalf of the owners by Paddy Purser (PTR Ltd.) and is part of the TranSSFor Stand Transformation Study currently directed by Teagasc Forestry Development Department and UCD, working with PTR Forestry, the Jorgensen family and Coillte.
Programme for the day:
The day will be led by continuous cover forestry experts Ted Wilson (Teagasc Walsh Fellow and Silviculturist) and Pavel Bednar (Silviculturalist, Pro Silva Bohemica, Czech Republic, see Pavel on youtube below)
In Ballycullen woodland there will be an opportunity to view the effects of three different thinning regimes, to discuss applied forest research and consider some of the issues involved in transformation of Sitka spruce stands to CCF.
There are three thinning treatments that will be discussed: low thinning (the standard approach), crown thinning and graduated density thinning. The latter two thinning regimes favour a more irregular stand structure and provide gaps for natural regeneration to eventually develop.
Apart from the TranSSFor study research plots, there are also areas of mixed spruce and larch currently undergoing 1st thinning, a block of Douglas fir currently undergoing 2nd thinning and an area of mixed poor quality hardwoods requiring an initial intervention. We will visit these stands to discuss a range of issues related to species choice, management practices, stand performance and future plans.
At the present time, there is significant interest in the early-stage transformation of forest stands, such as at Ballycullen, to CCF. The TranSSFor project is the most important research study in Ireland at the present time investigating stand transformation and is starting to yield important information and experience that will inform future best practice.
Please note: Pro Silva Ireland is also delighted to announce that Pavel Bednar will be giving a public talk entitled “Conversion to continuous cover forestry (CCF) as an adaptive forest management strategy within the context of global climate change”. The event is being held in UCD in the evening of Thursday 25th April. Further details of this event will be posted separately.
Pro Silva Ireland would like to acknowledge the continuing and invaluable support of the forest owners, Sandra and Lasse Jorgensen, for making the woodland available for this research and learning.
