"Tropical deforestation - why bother?" (An Irish foresters perspective).

Abstract

A former and esteemed member of this society, the late Dr. Eileen McCracken informs us in the introduction to her book "The Irish Woods since Tudor Times" that in 1600 about 12.5% of Ireland was under forest, this had reduced to 2% by 1800. When the inquiry committee was set up in 1907 under T.P. Gill, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, to examine the problems associated with the deforestation of Ireland the area under forest had reduced to less than 1.6%. The ready availability of Irish woods and forests to help the 1914 - 1918 war effort reduced this cover even more, a reduction which continued for another eleven years...