Forestry and Water (2008)
Description
Conifer plantation forests in Ireland are recognised as a potential source of diffuse pollution, in conjunction with many others, to water courses and represents a risk to the
ecological integrity of running waters. Although current planting tends to occur on better quality land, the majority of Irish forests have historically been planted on agriculturally unproductive land. Much of this unproductive land is in the uplands, such that many Irish rivers either rise in or receive drainage from these upland catchments.
While recognising other landuse/catchment pressures, this study aimed to assess the risks of forestry-derived eutrophication and sedimentation to running waters and to identify and quantify the factors that affect these risks.



