Impact of Deforestation in Northern Ireland: A Historical Perspective

By Jagan Marimuthu

Deforestation has a profound impact on the world, affecting the climate and diminishing biodiversity significantly. It is happening worldwide, and Northern Ireland isn’t an exception. According to the Global Forest Watch, within the last 23 years, Northern Ireland lost 21.7 kha of its natural forest, equivalent to an 11% decrease from 2000 [1]. Fermanagh and Omagh were the top two regions on the list, with 62% of all tree cover loss from 2001 to 2023. Now only 8.5% of Northern Ireland is forestry [2], one of the lowest in all of Europe.

So, when did it start, and what is the reason behind the low amount of tree cover present in Northern Ireland? The significant decline in these numbers is largely a result of human activities. Let’s go back in time; around 12,000 years ago, as temperatures rose and the ice caps retreated, conditions slowly became suitable for plant growth. The first trees to establish themselves were hardy pioneer species like juniper and willow, followed by birch and hazel. As the climate continued to improve, the eastern lowlands became dominated by elm, hazel, and ash, while oak and hazel were more common in the west. Higher and more exposed areas supported Scots pine and birch forests, while poorer soils gave rise to hazel, alder, and birch; transitioning to alder and willow in marshy areas. At this time, forests covered more than 80% of Ireland’s landscape. It was said that a squirrel could travel from one end of the island to the other without touching the ground. Open lakes and reed swamps gradually developed into raised bogs, mainly in the low-lying central plain, while blanket bogs became more common elsewhere.

As the glaciers continued to shrink, sea levels between Ireland, Great Britain, and Europe began to rise. Around 9,000 years ago, Ireland’s first settlers arrived by sea. These Mesolithic people, like indigenous tribes in the Amazon today, had a deep connection to the forest, relying on it for nearly everything – building materials, tools, firewood, boats, medicines, clothing, and food through hunting and fishing. Their impact on the forests was minimal. That began to change around 6,000 years ago when Neolithic farmers arrived. These early farmers significantly impacted the landscape, clearing vast forest areas for agriculture as the climate grew wetter. With trees cut or burned, livestock grazed on the seedlings, hindering forest regeneration. When trees are absent, rain leaches nutrients from the ground, accumulating dead vegetation. Over time, this transforms into thick layers of peat, creating extensive blanket bogs, especially in upland regions. This is why dead tree stumps are often found in bogs today.

Over the next 3,500 years, so much forest was cleared that, by the end of the Bronze Age, Ireland’s wooded landscape had dramatically thinned, with blanket bog replacing woodlands in many upland areas. Like what we see today in the Amazon, forests were cleared for farming, and wood became essential for everyday life – used as fuel, for tools, construction, and road building. Population growth and farming expansion further transformed the landscape in the following 2,000 years, particularly during the Early Christian period.

By 1600, forest cover had fallen to less than 20%. The decline continued over the next 300 years. With a rapidly growing population, forests were no longer valued as a natural resource but instead seen as obstacles to agricultural growth. Cleared and drained lands were converted into fertile pastures for cattle, sheep, and dairy farming, especially during the 17th-century Plantations of Ireland. The growing towns and villages in Ireland led to an increased demand for timber. Oak forests were heavily exploited, with large quantities exported to rebuild London after the Great Fire of 1666. The growing cattle trade also fueled demand for oak bark, which was used in tanning hides, and many oak trees were stripped for this purpose. Timber was transported via rivers to ports, supporting industries like shipbuilding and charcoal production for ironworks. By the late 19th century, mobile sawmills were cutting down the last of Ireland’s remaining forests. By the century’s end, forest cover had dwindled from 80% to just 1% [3].

The decline began to reverse in the early 20th century when the newly independent Irish state launched a program to promote tree planting. The goal was to boost timber self-sufficiency and create rural employment opportunities. As prime agricultural land wasn’t available, these new state forests were often planted on marginal soils and largely consisted of fast-growing, exposure-tolerant conifers. Since the early 1990s, private individuals, mostly farmers, have been responsible for nearly all tree planting, incentivised by attractive forestry grants [4]. Increasingly, more demanding species, including broadleaf trees, are being planted as tree planting shifts from upland areas to valleys. This reforestation has brought Ireland’s forest cover up from 1% to 11%, with hopes to reach 18% in the coming decades.

Today, Ireland needs a variety of trees and forests for various purposes, from renewable building materials and carbon-neutral fuel to spaces for tranquillity and the expansion of native woodlands. It’s also important to note that certain places of Ireland, such as parts of Donegal in the north and areas in the west like The Burren, are still unsuitable for forestry due to factors like terrain and soil conditions. Unfortunately, this is the current reality in modern-day Ireland, but as we’ve emphasised many times, it doesn’t have to remain this way! Even though the government and all other public bodies are taking action, doing campaigns, and making strategies like Green Growth, Our QUB’s gardening team and volunteers are also taking part in enhancing biodiversity by constantly engaging in projects such as tree planting, pollinator plans etc [5]. We should all take responsibility on our own instead of waiting for our good and start planting trees.

Sources:

[1] Vizzuality. “Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Deforestation Rates & Statistics GFW.” Globalforestwatch.org. 2023. https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/GBR/2/?category=undefined.

[2] “Northern Ireland.” n.d. Forest Research. https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/climate-change/advice/official-country-guidance/northern-ireland/.

[3] Teagasc. “History of Forestry in Ireland – Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority.” Teagasc.ie. 2014. https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/advice/general-topics/history-of-forestry-in-ireland/.

[4] “DAERA Forestry Grants | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.” 2015. DAERA. https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/daera-forestry-grants.

[5] “Biodiversity | Estates Directorate | Queen’s University Belfast.” 2019. https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/EstatesDirectorate/SustainabilityatQueens/Biodiversity/.

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