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Conversion of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) in the era of Climate Change

ProSilva Ireland invites you to: Conversion to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) in the era of Climate Change

Mar 10, 2022 08:00 PM Dublin - 21:00 CET

Register in advance for this webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Webinar is free at no charge and also open to Pro Silva Members all over Europe.

go to Registration

ProSilva Ireland are hosting a webinar 10th March 2022 on the building of adaptive forests in the era of climate change. Dr Pavel Bednár, a researcher for the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute in the Czech Republic, will give the lecture titled

 “Continuous Cover Forestry for resilient and productive forests under impacts of global climate change”

Czech forest researcher Dr Pavel Bednár will speak about the fact European forests are at increasing risk due to the effects of climate change, in combination with the consequences of historical forest management approaches. Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) offered an alternative strategy that may become essential to future forest survival.

Pavel Bednár, Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Czech Republic

Dr. Pavel Bednár comes from inspiring forestry background of forestry family when his father was an enthusiastic forester, an expert in silviculture and a forest manager of several forest estates and his older brother is a forester, as well. Pavel is a researcher for the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute – Research Station of Silviculture in Opocno, in the Czech Republic. His specialisations are mainly close-to-nature forestry; forest stand transformation (i.e. simultaneously applied conversion of trees species composition and conversion of forest management); forest tending and forest regeneration; forest microclimate and water regime; forest eco-physiology and its correlation with forest management; ecological demands of different tree species within mixed forest stands and the ways how to enable to all various tree species their full employment (ecological, mechanical, productive) in the forest mixture. Currently he is the chief-researcher of the LARIXUTOR research project that is aimed at different specific issues about European larch within the central European forests when the project is solved by his home institute together with Charles University and Mendel University in Brno (www.poznejmodrin.cz).

Dr. Bednár studied Forestry (MSc. – 2009) and Biotechnics Landscaping (MSc. – 2012) at Mendel University in Brno and completed his Ph.D. at the same university (Ph.D. – 2016). Pavel completed his Ph.D. as the research internist at Department of Silviculture and the title of his Ph.D. thesis was: “Secondary monocultures of Norway spruce (Picea abies): transformation and conversion processes and the subsequent changes within the forest stand”. He spent half of year at Faculty of Science of Universiteit Antwerpen in Belgium during his Ph.D. studies. Pavel has been a member of Pro Silva for 13 years. He has gained experiences both from various academic spheres and from forest practise up to now. He occasionally collaborates with European Forest Institute (in the past it was mainly within projects of Experts Exchange, SURE, Integrate and in-TREE) and since 2019 also with University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and with other colleagues both at home and in abroad. To enhance international collaboration and knowledges exchange in forestry he has organised or co-organised many different international excursions, seminars, conferences and other events till now. 

Resilient Forestry at Leinster House

Pro Silva Ireland in the Houses of the Irish Parliament

Continuous Cover Forestry consultant Paddy Purser and Chair of Pro Silva Ireland, Liam Byrne before presenting a statement to Joint Committee on Climate Action at the Oireachtas (Houses of the Irish Parliament), Dublin on behalf of Pro Silva Ireland. 11 December 2019. Photo: Cathy Fitzgerald.

Pro Silva Ireland presented continuous cover forestry as a crucial response to the urgent threat of climate change at Leinster House yesterday.

Immediate past Chair Paddy Purser and Chair Liam Byrne explained the benefits of close to nature forestry management to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action – Forestry, in Dublin yesterday at the Oireachtas (Houses of the Irish Parliament).

Pro Silva Ireland committee members Padraig O’Tuama, Manus Crowley and Cathy Fitzgerald also represented the Pro Silva membership as observers to the proceedings.

The Oireachtas hearings come amidst increasing national and international reorientation toward resilient and profitable forests for critical carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services in a time of accelerating climate crisis.

Paddy and Liam presented a comprehensive statement on behalf of Pro Silva Ireland, highlighting the necessity of fostering profitable, biodiverse forests to meet increasing climate and biodiversity challenges, as witnessed across Europe this year, whilst ensuring rural employment, improved social amenity and valuable diverse timber production.

View the proceedings here:

https://media.heanet.ie/page/c25172a3304d4016b483b7dd8dd22289

Paddy can be seen presenting this statement at about 48 minutes into the Oireachtas TV video above. The full statement can also be downloaded here (PDF).

Paddy and Liam also gave responses during the three-hour cross-party session and Pro Silva Ireland was pleased to represent members and the concept of CCF management at the table alongside other significant Irish forestry stakeholders and researchers.

here you can watch the Proceedings

Pro Silva Ireland members might be interested in viewing the entire session to gauge the information that government representatives and senators are collating for the Irish forest sector. All who attended the session on behalf of Pro Silva Ireland commented that there were ideas, objectives and stakeholder partnerships evolving that align with Pro Silva Ireland’s aims, creating more opportunities for Pro Silva to contribute our organisation’s expertise in continuous cover forestry.

In particular, the Pro Silva Ireland committee believes the wealth of experience and enthusiasm among our members, built-up since 2000, represents a significant body of on-the-ground practical, Irish-based research to champion a new and deeply sustainable direction for Irish forestry. This new Irish forestry integrates environmental, social and economic values. We also continue to recognise the key contribution of our Pro Silva colleagues who advise and visit Ireland from all across Europe. The reason why Pro Silva Ireland was invited to the table to contribute to this national discourse is due in large part to every Pro Silva member. Thank you all.

Please feel free to share these important developments within your network and community. We especially thank newcomers to Pro Silva Ireland too, who are also bringing new energy and experience to our rapidly growing membership.

For more information contact: Paddy Purser at paddy(at)ptrforest.ie

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Fast Forward for Continuous Cover Forestry in Ireland

In Ireland,  Andrew Doyle TD, Minister of State for Forestry, announced on 22 January 2019 a new grant scheme dedicated to CCF. This initiative is part of a wider strategy to promote the sustainability, resilience and biodiversity of Ireland’s forest estate.

Administered by the Forest Service, the new scheme will be open to a maximum of 30 projects in 2019. As this is a pilot scheme a review will follow and it is expected that the measure will be extended forward from 2020. The scheme provides funding over 12 years to assist with management planning, with cost based payments of up to €750/ha in year 1, another payment of €750/ha between years 4-8 and a final payment of €750/ha at year 12, all payments based on work in transformation plan being completed. Applicants must prepare a management plan that conforms to a standard template and foresters making application on behalf of clients must provide evidence of prior knowledge or training in CCF.

The new CCF management grant has been called a landmark event for forestry in Ireland. Highly anticipated, there have been a significant number of applications within just the first two week of the ministerial announcement. Ireland has approximately 22,000 small and farm woodland owners, suggesting there is potential for CCF to be widely adopted.

after an article by (C) Ted Wilson and Padraig O'Tuama “Fast Forward for Continuous Cover Forestry in Ireland” submitted recently to Woodland Heritage magazine in UK.

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download detailed CCFG Scheme read more details at Website Pro Silva Ireland
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