Location can be a defining element of the preferences and values that the public holds for forests. Irish forest policy has undergone a number of developments in recent years with a current emphasis on sustainable forest management, which requires accounting for a wider suite of forest benefits...

Input-output analysis was used to evaluate the total economic impact (i.e. the sum of the direct, indirect and induced impacts) of the forestry and wood products sectors on the Irish economy. The total impact of the forestry sector on a number of regional economies was also examined, as were the...

Ireland’s agriculture is characterised by an ageing farmer population and small average farm sizes. Past policy schemes developed to address these issues have been targeted at accelerating succession and retirement processes in agriculture. Their success however was limited. The process of...

Forest benefits are now commonly understood through the ecosystem service framework. Recreational visits to forests, considered an important cultural service, have been the target of a significant proportion of the non-market valuation literature to date. Such models have evolved from relatively...

In the context of incentivising farm afforestation to provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration to mitigate greenhouse gas production, this paper sheds new light on the complexity of the farm afforestation decision and the characteristics of the farms and the farmers who are likely...

The role of forests in our environment is increasing in importance due to the multifunctional benefits forests provide to urban and rural communities in relation to climate change mitigation, water conservation and the provision of fibre for bioenergy. However, afforestation targets across...

The Irish government has an ambitious plan to increase the forest cover in Ireland from 10% to 17% by the year 2030 and in doing so achieve a competitive scale of timber production. Substantial financial incentives are available to encourage landowners, especially farmers, to plant. To achieve...