The area of national forest estate in Ireland has increased to approximately 700,000 hectares as a result of a significant increase in private forest development in the mid-1980s, with the introduction of grant schemes funded by the EU aimed at encouraging private land owners, mainly farmers, to become involved in forestry. Of this, approximately 45% is in private ownership and 55% is in the ownership of Coillte.
During the first 75 years of the 20th century, forestry in Ireland was almost exclusively carried out by the state. By 1985, forest and woodland cover was approximately 420,000 hectares.
Upon the first arrival of humans in Ireland around 12,500 years ago, the entire island was predominantly covered in a blanket of thick woodland. These woodlands consisted largely of oak and pine forests. However, centuries of heavy deforestation meant that by the end of the 19th century, the area of woodland and forest cover in Ireland was estimated to be approximately 69,000 hectares, or 1% of the national land area.
The vast majority of forestry plantings in Ireland are non-native species, chiefly Sitka spruce, with the consequent damage to biodiversity and the environment.
Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England. Its peculiar fame arises from its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood.
The Wicklow Way is a 131-kilometre (81-mile) long-distance trail that crosses the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It runs from Marlay Park in the southern suburbs of Dublin through County Wicklow and ends in the village of Clonegal in County Carlow. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the Irish Sports Council and is waymarked by posts with a yellow "walking man" symbol and a directional arrow. Typically completed in 5–7 days, it is one of the busiest of Ireland's National Waymarked Trails, with up to 24,000 people a year walking the most popular sections. The Way is also used regularly by a number of mountain running competitions.
Kilmashogue or Kilmashoge is a mountain in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown county in Ireland. It is 408 metres high and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The forest plantation on its northern slope, which is composed mainly of Sitka spruce, Scots pine and beech, is a habitat for Sika deer, hares, rabbits and foxes. A number of prehistoric monuments can be found on the slopes of the mountain.
Coillte is a state-owned commercial forestry business in Ireland based in Newtownmountkennedy. Coillte manage approximately 7% of the country’s land, and operates three businesses - their core forestry business, a 'land solutions' division, and a wood panel manufacturing business called 'Medite Smartply'.
Savernake Forest stands on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately 4,500 acres.
Delamere Forest is a large wood in the village of Delamere in Cheshire, England. The woodland, which is managed by Forestry England, covers an area of 972 hectares making it the largest area of woodland in the county. It contains a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees.
Dún na Rí Forest Park is a forest park is situated on the County Cavan-County Monaghan border, in Ireland. The park itself borders the Shercock and Carrickmacross roads more specifically at Magheracloone and Kingscourt. The park forms a part of the old Cabra Estate.
Glengarra Wood is a mixed woodland in Ireland located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of Cahir, County Tipperary off the M8 motorway and R639 road. Approximately 570 hectares in extent, it is situated on Old Red Sandstone on the southern slopes of the Galtee Mountains. It is mainly a coniferous forest with Sitka spruce being the main species. Other conifer species present include Scots pine, Japanese larch, Douglas fir, Norway spruce, western hemlock and western red cedar. The area also contains approximately 50 hectares of native oak, birch and alder. Animals present include fallow deer, foxes, badgers, hares and red squirrels. Birds include pheasants, hawks, kestrels, ravens, herons and many song birds.
The United Kingdom, being in the British Isles, is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. Growth rates for broadleaved (hardwood) trees exceed those of mainland Europe, while conifer (softwood) growth rates are three times those of Sweden and five times those of Finland. In the absence of people, much of Great Britain would be covered with mature oaks, except for Scotland. Although conditions for forestry are good, trees do face damage threats arising from fungi, parasites and pests. The development of afforestation and the production and supply of timber in Wales come under Natural Resources Wales, as set out in the Forestry Act 1967.
Glengarriff Forest is an area of woodland near Glengarriff, West Cork, Ireland. Most of the woodland is a nature reserve in public ownership which is sometimes referred to as Glengarriff "forest park" or "state forest".
The Dublin Mountains Way is a waymarked long-distance trail in the Dublin Mountains, Counties South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. The route is approximately 42 kilometres long and runs from Shankill in the east to Tallaght in the west. It has been developed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership, an umbrella group of relevant state agencies and recreational users working to improve recreational facilities in the Dublin Mountains.
Barnaslingan is a 238 metres high hill in County Dublin, Ireland. It is most noted for the geological feature known as The Scalp that lies to the west of the summit. Samuel Lewis, in A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), described it thus: “A deep natural chasm in the mountain, forming a defile with lofty and shelving ramparts on each side, from which large detached masses of granite many tons of weight have fallen, on each side large masses of detached rock are heaped together in wild confusion, apparently arrested in their descent, and threatening at every moment to crush the traveller by their fall”.
Scotland is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. As of 2019 about 18.5% of the country was wooded. Although this figure is well below the European Union (EU) average of 43%, it represents a significant increase compared to the figure of 100 years previously: in 1919 it was estimated that only 5% of the country's total land area was covered in forest. The Scottish Government's Draft Climate Change Plan has set an aim of increasing coverage to 21% of Scotland by 2032, with the rate of afforestation rising to 15,000 hectares per year by 2024.
Killykeen Forest Park straddling Lough Oughter is situated in County Cavan, Ireland approximately five miles from Cavan town. Responsibility for the upkeep of Killykeen is through the state's commercial forestry service Coillte together with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) where Lough Oughter and its associated loughs are protected under the EU Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for wildlife and particularly wintering birds. The forest consists of mainly mixed woodland including Norway and Sitka spruce, Ash, Oak and Beech. The area is popular with anglers because of its location along Lough Oughter which is connected to thousands of hectares of lakeland complexes. Canoeing, biking and windsurfing are also popular activities at the park. Other Attractions include Cloughoughter Castle and Gartnanoul Court Tomb.
Tomnafinnoge Woods(Irish: Coillte Tom na Feannóige) is the last surviving fragment of the great Oak Woods of Tinahely, which once clothed the hills and valleys of south Wicklow, Ireland. As early as 1444 these woods supplied timber for the construction of King's College, Cambridge, and later for Westminster Abbey, St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin. In 1634, the woods were estimated to cover 'more than many thousand acres', but from then on they were heavily exploited especially for shipbuilding.
Faskally Forest, also known as Faskally Woods, is a wooded area in the historic county of Perthshire, Scotland. It is among the mixed woodlands of Perthshire, and is well known for its radiant colours during the autumn. It is one of the early forest lands of Perthshire Big Tree County. Originally a "model woodland" developed in the 19th century with a resort owned by Archibald Edward Butter. In 1953, Faskally was acquired by the Forestry Commission of Scotland to set up a school for training young foresters.
The forest in Germany covers 11.4 million hectares, 32 percent of the total area of the country. In the German forests grow about 90 billion young and old trees with a total wood stock of 3.7 billion cubic meters. The definition of the Federal Forest Act (BWaldG) for forest is: "any area planted with forest plants. Forest also includes clear-cut or shaded ground areas, forest roads, forest clearance and securing strips, forest meadows and clearings, forest meadows, grass clearing areas, wood storage areas and other areas associated with and serving the forest."
A private forest is a forest that is not owned by municipal authorities, church authorities or the state. It can refer to woodland owned by a natural or juridical person or a partnership.It is the forest which is planted, nurtured or conserved in any private land.
Vale of Clara is a national nature reserve of approximately 545 acres (2.21 km2) located in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
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