Its area was estimated at 148,200 acres 40 years ago, but today it has shrunk to 24,700 acres of actual woodland. The forestry authorities have recently started a new project for biological control of two major forest weeds. Government botanist Pierre Sigala reports. Heathland plants fade away . Most significantly, heathland plants declined severely even in designated protected areas.
Edible fungi come in from the cold .
Mycologists in Sweden and Oregon have successfully cultivated chantarelles, richly flavoured yellow fungi of Northern Hemisphere coniferous forests prized by gourmets. West Cork yields its floral treasure . John Akeroyd has reached the end of a personal odyssey in West Cork, at Ireland's far south-western tip. He reflects on writing the local Flora for Sherkin, Cape Clear and the adjacent islands. Ten tips towards better plant photography .