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The dynamics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Europe during the Holocene have been spatially and temporally complex. The species underwent extirpation and reintroduction in several north-west European countries. This study investigated the late Holocene vegetation history of a present-day pinewood in western Ireland, to test the widely accepted hypothesis that P. sylvestris became extinct in Ireland c. AD 400. Palaeoecological, chronological and loss-on-ignition analyses were conducted on a sediment core extracted from an adjacent lake. The pollen profile showed no major Pinus decline and a Pinus macrofossil occurred c. AD 840, indicating localised survival of P. sylvestris from c. AD 350 to the present. The available archival maps and historical literature provide supporting evidence for continuity of forest cover. The hypothesis that P. sylvestris became extinct in Ireland is rejected. The implications for ecological management are significant. We argue that P. sylvestris should be considered native to Ireland, at least at this site. As Ireland’s only putative native P. sylvestris population and the western limit of the species’ native range, this site is of high conservation value and must be carefully managed and monitored. Seed-sourcing for ex-situ forest restoration must be compatible with the long-term viability of the population in-situ.
Jenni R. Roche; Fraser J. G. Mitchell; Steve Waldren; Bettina S. Stefanini. Palaeoecological Evidence for Survival of Scots Pine through the Late Holocene in Western Ireland: Implications for Ecological Management. Forests 2018, 9, 350 .
AMA StyleJenni R. Roche, Fraser J. G. Mitchell, Steve Waldren, Bettina S. Stefanini. Palaeoecological Evidence for Survival of Scots Pine through the Late Holocene in Western Ireland: Implications for Ecological Management. Forests. 2018; 9 (6):350.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJenni R. Roche; Fraser J. G. Mitchell; Steve Waldren; Bettina S. Stefanini. 2018. "Palaeoecological Evidence for Survival of Scots Pine through the Late Holocene in Western Ireland: Implications for Ecological Management." Forests 9, no. 6: 350.
Jenni R. Roche; Fraser J.G. Mitchell; Waldren; Stephen WaldrenJørn E. Bjørndalen. Are Ireland's reintroduced Pinus sylvestris forests floristically analogous to their native counterparts in oceanic north-west Europe? Biology & Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 2015, 115, 97 -18.
AMA StyleJenni R. Roche, Fraser J.G. Mitchell, Waldren, Stephen WaldrenJørn E. Bjørndalen. Are Ireland's reintroduced Pinus sylvestris forests floristically analogous to their native counterparts in oceanic north-west Europe? Biology & Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 2015; 115 (2):97-18.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJenni R. Roche; Fraser J.G. Mitchell; Waldren; Stephen WaldrenJørn E. Bjørndalen. 2015. "Are Ireland's reintroduced Pinus sylvestris forests floristically analogous to their native counterparts in oceanic north-west Europe?" Biology & Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 115, no. 2: 97-18.
Plantation forests can make a significant contribution to the conservation of native biodiversity, especially where native forest cover is low. Ireland is used as a case study to explore the contribution to biodiversity made by stands of Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), a reintroduced species. Despite its disputed native status, P. sylvestris is being widely planted in semi-natural habitats in Ireland. The associated vegetation communities have not previously been described and their conservation value is unknown. Baseline information is needed to inform conservation and forest management strategies. Botanical surveys were carried out at 20 plots of P. sylvestris-dominated woodland and scrub throughout the Republic of Ireland. Vegetation, structural and environmental data were recorded. Data were analysed using non-parametric and multivariate statistical techniques and a synoptic table was prepared. P. sylvestris was found to be a non-specialist in terms of its environmental tolerances. β diversity among plots was high while α diversity within plots was low to moderate. The plots surveyed contained 14.2% of the Irish native flora. There was a low level of constancy of species. Four reasonably well defined vegetation communities were identified. Soil pH, altitude and slope had important roles in partitioning these vegetation types and soil pH was positively correlated with species richness. P. sylvestris is well established, well integrated and naturalising in Irish semi-natural habitats. Some of the associated vegetation communities corresponded to habitats of international conservation importance. This research demonstrates that stands of P. sylvestris represent an important resource for Ireland’s native botanical and habitat diversity.
Jenni R. Roche; Fraser Mitchell; Stephen Waldren. Plant community ecology of Pinus sylvestris, an extirpated species reintroduced to Ireland. Biodiversity and Conservation 2009, 18, 2185 -2203.
AMA StyleJenni R. Roche, Fraser Mitchell, Stephen Waldren. Plant community ecology of Pinus sylvestris, an extirpated species reintroduced to Ireland. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2009; 18 (8):2185-2203.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJenni R. Roche; Fraser Mitchell; Stephen Waldren. 2009. "Plant community ecology of Pinus sylvestris, an extirpated species reintroduced to Ireland." Biodiversity and Conservation 18, no. 8: 2185-2203.