What is ‘Close-to-Nature’ Forest Management?

 Every day as I go about my daily activities I find myself  trying to think of more ways to communicate to people involved in forests & timber industries in Ireland about this other way of approaching forest management.  

Our current approach to forestry results in images like this one at Drumshanbo

I am certain that if forest owners here knew there was another approach to forestry than the one currently practiced, they would embrace this new approach and would eagerly begin to implement the management principals into their own forests.  As current Chairman of Pro Silva Ireland, I can see that there is a gradual increase in people coming to our field trips and that once they get a grip about what is being shown, their interest is sustained and their enthusiasm for the subject grows.  It is very exciting to think of the possibilities that are here for Irish forestry if only we would begin to see these sitka spruce plantations that we have as the first stage in forest evolution rather than as a crop to be felled and re-sown.

Tonight I was reading through the mouth watering itinerary for the 2009 Pro Silva Europe Conference that will be held in Slovenia this September. The introduction is really excellent and worth copying here:

Background: Sustainable management of forest ecosystems for the future is becoming one of the most important, yet difficult tasks for societies due to growing environmental problems on one hand, and increasing needs for energy, raw materials, recreational functions, biodiversity conservation and environmental services on the other. Close-to-nature forestry is one of the most important tools for bridging contrasting demands on forests. In this field Europe has a long tradition and many well established practices. These practical examples demonstrate that conserving and restoring forest biodiversity can be combined with management for social and protection functions, moreover all this can be achieved with reliable economic returns and with lowest possible ecological footprint. Pro Silva Europe is a federation connecting foresters, forest owners and forests representing this type of management on a European scale (www.prosilvaeurope.org). 

In recent years close-to-nature forestry is becoming more and more recognised by public and NGO’s. However, the percentage of managed forests in this way in Europe is growing relatively slowly. Close-to-nature forestry is often not appropriately acknowledged by governments or included in the legislature. Moreover, in spite of documented success, the close-to-nature forestry has a limited support from established forestry science. This discrepancy between many excellent practices and relatively low influence on the global forestry issues could be attributed to many reasons. Close-to-nature forestry is a complex management paradigm – not easy to communicate, it is labour and brain intensive, is often incorrectly considered as an obstacle for mechanisation, furthermore, economic returns are evident on the long turn. 

There are many misconceptions about what close-to-nature forestry is.  I hope over the coming months to dispel a few of the myths about it.  One of the things it is about is natural regeneration, although this happens as an effect rather than a cause. Meanwhile, just feel secure in the knowledge that while you’re reading this post there are millions of ash seedlings along the edges of plantations throughout the country just biding their time until enough forest owners notice that herein lies a valuable future commercial timber species that, given enough light, will come into the shelter of sitka spruce plantations and will pay its way.

Ash seedling patiently waiting for us to get some sense.

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Tags: Ash, Close-to-nature, Pro Silva Europe