Possibilities for carbon sequestration in Irish forests

Ireland has a rapidly expanding forest estate which covers some 9% of the land area. It is government policy to increase this to 17% by the year 2030. Preliminary studies suggest that forestry activities have the potential to contribute significantly to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Although some studies have been carried out the determination of the carbon stores and sinks in Irish forests will require a considerable research effort in the future. A key aspect of such studies will be field based studies which measure all components of the carbon cycle and their relationship to climatic and environmental conditions as well as management practices. Many of these issues will be addressed in the recently announced research programme of the Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD).