Enhancing Native and Broadleaf Forests with Paddy Purser
Download MP3Today I speak with forester Paddy Purser - Paddy was an early Irish advocate for continuous cover forestry (CCF) and a key figure in the establishment of Pro Silva Ireland who promote CCF's adoption. We speak about the enhancement of native and broadleaf forestry through timely and appropriate interventions and how this can lead to a wide range of commercial, silvicultural and biodiversity benefits. The Woodland Improvement Scheme grant assists owners of native and broadleaf forests to manage their forests and so we talk about how the scheme works and how it supports both a clearfell and a continuous cover management approach. And finally we briefly discuss a longer term vision Paddy has - to see Ireland once again covered in oak trees that are managed both for timber and ecological benefit. We don't specifically address grant payment rates as these can change intermittently but links to find out more can be found below.
This podcast is supported by the Irish Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. If you're thinking of planting a new forest or if you want information on financial and technical supports to manage your existing forest then go to
This podcast is supported by the Irish Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. If you're thinking of planting a new forest or if you want information on financial and technical supports to manage your existing forest then go to
Key Points:
Paddy discusses the various types of broadleaf forests in Ireland, including ancient woodlands, old estate woodlands, and newly planted broadleaf forests. Each type has its unique management needs and ecological significance:
- Ancient Woodlands: These are continuous woodlands that have existed for centuries, often rich in biodiversity.
- Old Estate Woodlands: Typically mixed woodlands that were historically maintained for estate boundaries, some timber production and/or game rearing.
- Newly Planted Broadleaf Forests: These are often part of the Government supported afforestation programs, with a growing emphasis on integrating broadleaf species into monoculture conifer plantations.
Paddy identifies three primary motivations for landowners to engage in broadleaf management:
- Commercial Viability: Exploring the potential for timber production.
- Silvicultural Reasons: Improving stand development and forest health.
- Biodiversity: Enhancing ecological diversity within forest ecosystems.
Paddy then explains how interventions to enhance standing timber from a commercial point of view must be taken at appropriate stages of development. Beyond formative shaping, Paddy explains how thinning racks are a prerequisite for almost everything that comes afterwards and he gives some examples of what that looks like.
Quotes:
Quotes:
- "There has been a significant cultural shift in how forest owners perceive their broadleaves, moving towards a more management-oriented approach rather than seeing them as unproductive areas."
- "If you talk or run any poll on what kind of woodlands people want, they want native Irish forests."
- "Continuous cover forestry is defined by what it isn't rather than what it is. It's about creating a sustainable management approach that benefits both the forest and its biodiversity."
- "You can't retrofit quality at a late stage into broadleaves, it has to be instilled at the very beginning."
- "For thousands of years, oak was our main commercial species. in the last hundred years it hasn't been. But I would say there i it is highly likely that it will become our main commercial species again."
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Follow the Guest on:
Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddy-purser-69996914/
Other Links of Note:
Pro Silva Ireland on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pro-silva-ireland/posts/?feedView=all
Pro Silva Ireland on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProSilvaIreland
The Woodland Improvement Scheme: https://teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/grants/woodland-improvement-scheme-2023-2027/
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Chapters: 00:00 Show introduction
01:04 Paddy Purser speaks about his career and interest in continuous cover forestry
04:25 The different types of broadleaf woodland in Ireland
08:51 Why broadleaf woodlands need active management
11:46 Thinning for commercial, silvicultural and biodiversity benefits
16:53 Growing high-value timber from the best trees
22:22 Developing quality, stability and resilience through thinning
28:10 Ground flora, water management and biodiversity
30:38 The importance of deadwood for woodland biodiversity
36:22 Formative shaping, inspection paths and coppicing
44:49 The Woodland Improvement Scheme and broadleaf thinning grants
49:15 Continuous cover forestry and managing woodland over the long term
57:58 Enrichment planting and developing diverse woodlands
01:02:01 The future of Irish oak and the next generation of broadleaf forests
08:51 Why broadleaf woodlands need active management
11:46 Thinning for commercial, silvicultural and biodiversity benefits
16:53 Growing high-value timber from the best trees
22:22 Developing quality, stability and resilience through thinning
28:10 Ground flora, water management and biodiversity
30:38 The importance of deadwood for woodland biodiversity
36:22 Formative shaping, inspection paths and coppicing
44:49 The Woodland Improvement Scheme and broadleaf thinning grants
49:15 Continuous cover forestry and managing woodland over the long term
57:58 Enrichment planting and developing diverse woodlands
01:02:01 The future of Irish oak and the next generation of broadleaf forests
