Europe’s forests are central to fighting climate change. By 2050 we are committed to a net-zero world, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by removals of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
European forests absorb the equivalent of 10 per cent of emissions caused by humans in the EU. However, the ability of forests to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is declining due to climate extremes, pests and diseases and increased harvesting rates.
A recent study by Migliavacca and colleagues highlights the challenges facing the forestry sector across Europe and identifies key actions that need to be taken now to ensure forests provide us with the goods and services that we – and nature – depend on.
While the climate crisis is unique to our generation, forests have long been central to other crises in human history. The recent book by Jonathan Mullard, Forgotten Forests, details 12,000 years of British and Irish woodlands.
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Mullard outlines a long history of dynamic forest use, exploitation, plantation, abandonment and recovery. The history of these islands is seen through the advance, retreat and alteration of forests and woodlands.
At times of crisis during the first and second World Wars, British and Irish forests were extensively exploited for building materials, pit props to enable coal to be extracted to power the military machine, premium beech wood was felled for constructing the mosquito fighter plane and fuel was harvested.
The difficulty of importing timber across oceans patrolled by hostile forces made domestic sources more important. More than 180,000 hectares of woodland were felled in Britain to provide for the needs of the first World War.
This is equivalent to an area the size of Co Sligo, or about a fifth of Ireland’s forested area of 809,000ha. In Ireland firewood consumption peaked during second World War due to restrictions in coal imports.
Forest felling was followed by periods of forest establishment, which waxed and waned after the second World War depending on the demand for timber and developments of new technologies and materials. Forests on these islands both shaped and were shaped by wider political, industrial and social events.
It is no surprise the climate and biodiversity crises require a reshaping of forests. What will the forests of the future look like and how will they be managed? Some 30 per cent of Europe’s forests consist of a single tree species, with one third of this spruce.
Putting all our forestry eggs in one basket with a single species, Sitka Spruce, is looking increasingly risky. We are seeing the devastation of ash trees due to a single disease, ash dieback, which is ripping through plantations and hedgerows. There are several pests and diseases, such as the bark beetle, that would pose a severe threat to Sitka Spruce and the forestry industry here if they were to become established.
Densely-planted Sitka Spruce that is poorly managed and on peat soils is particularly vulnerable to windthrow. Storm Éowyn, earlier this year, caused damage to more than 24,000 hectares of forests and repeated red warnings for forest fire were issued over the summer. With climate change altering the frequency and intensity of storms and droughts we need to de-risk the forestry sector.
While Sitka Spruce is still the dominant forestry plantation species, increasing proportions of broadleaf trees and native species are being planted. Most afforestation since the 1990s has been on private land and there is an increasing role for private forestry to contribute to the supply of timber as well as climate, biodiversity and water services.
While new forestry plantings provide a clear opportunity to change the forestry system, existing forests also have the potential to change their ability to remove carbon dioxide and provide for nature and people. The FORES project is developing tools for the public and private sectors for managing forests for multiple services including wood, nature, climate and recreation.
In 2023 and 2024 more than 50 per cent of newly-forested land was planted with broad-leafed species. The challenge and opportunity is clear; the next generation of forests will need to be diverse and resilient to multiple threats to continue providing us with what we need to thrive in an increasingly uncertain world.
Prof Yvonne Buckley is co-director of the TCD Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water and director of AIB Trinity Climate Hub
