Irish forests

1
Irish forests

• A project by 4th and 5th class

2
Silviculture

• Silviculture is the growing of trees
• The Irish State Forestry department is called
  Coillte Teoranta
• The word coillte means woodlands
• 70 of all iris forests are owned by Coillte.
• Trees grow better in good soil than in bad soil.
• Leitrim is suitable for the growing of trees due
  to its damp soil conditions.
• Land that was once covered by bog is often used
  for silviculture.

3
Coniferous trees

• They are evergreen trees
• The leaves fall off when old but grow back
  straight away
• The Sitka Spruce is the most common coniferous
  tree in Leitrim.

4
Sitka spruce

• The sitka spruce is the most common tree in
  Ireland
• The sitka spruce is a coniferous tree
• Their timber is used for fences, roofing, floors
  and tools
• Many of the coniferous trees are not native to
  Ireland e.g sitka spruce
• Sitka spruce is used for firewood, woodpellets
  for burners
• Saw dust from the sitka spruce is used for the
  bedding of livestock
• As it is a soft wood it grows quicker and it is
  less expensive than hardwoods
• The sitka spruce is the most common tree planted
  by state forestry Coillte

5
DECIDUOUS TREES

• They are usually broad leaf trees.
• Their leaves fall off in autumn.
• They live to be a hundred years old.
• Its a hard wood and its more expensive than
  soft wood
• Most of them are native to Ireland like oak, ash
  and birch
• Some non-native broadleaf trees are beech and
  hornbeam.

6
Foresters

• Most Irish forests have a 40 year cycle.
• A forester protects forests against insects,
  disease and fire.
• The foresters preserve wildlife and supervise
  grazing, and help to guard the forest.
• They help supervise at camping sites and picnic
  areas.

7
Birch

• Birch trees may grow in pairs or clusters
• The silver birch is grown in Ireland
• They grow in peaty soils
• Birch nutlets are small and grown in a cone
• They have a thin bark with peels in horizontal
  layers
• Other trees are the yellow birch, river birch,
  sweet birch and gray birch

8
Ash trees

• Ash is a hard wood tree
• Ash trees can prevent soil erosion
• Ash wood is hard strong and is used in the
  making of shovel ,hoe and rake handles.
• In Ireland ash is used in the making of hurleys
• Hurleys can vary in length from 61 cm to 94 cm
• The game of hurling is better known as the clash
  of the ash
• In Ireland there are two different types of ash,
  (a) the mountain ash, (b) the lowland ash

9
THE OAK TREE

• The oak is a broadleaf tree.
• The oak timber produced is hard wood.
• The oak is a native tree to Ireland.
• The Vikings used oak wood to build their ships.
• There are 600 different species of oak.
• Oak trees can live for 800 years.

10
Habitats of the forest

• There are four habitats in the forest.
• 1. The canopy is the tops of the trees.
• 2. The shrub layer has small trees and shrubs.
• 3. The ground layer with flowering plants and
  animals.
• 4. Leaf litter with dead leaves and animals such
  as earthworms and hedgehogs.

11
Fencing and wood uses

• Wood is used for fencing on farms and motorways
• These fences are for keeping cattle of the
  motorway
• Fences are made from oak, dougles fir, larch and
  pine.
• Wood is used for poles to carry electricity and
  telephone wires.
• Fences and gates are made in different types of
  ways

12
Firewood and energy (products)

• Wood is a renewable source of energy
• Timber produces 30 more heat than fossils fuels
  (coal gas oil peat)
• Certain timbers may be used to make timber
  products like tables, chairs, sleigh beds,
  instruments and shelves
• There are 4 types of fuel 1. cut timber 2.
  chipwood 3. sawdust 4. wood pellets and
  briquettes