09.05.2011
Mr Rob Deady (an MSc student in BEES/ERI) won the prize for Best Forestry Poster (sponsored by COFORD) at the recent 21st Irish Environmental Researcher’s Colloquium (ENVIRON 2011) which took place in UCC from April 6th-8th (photo Dr Shirley Gallagher (ESAI Chairperson) presenting the prize to Rob Deady).
Mr Deady (who is supervised by Professor John O’Halloran and Dr Tom Kelly, BEES) presented a poster entitled "What Diptera diversity does thinning debris and clearfell debris support in Irish plantations?" which outlined his research on decaying wood (or deadwood as it is commonly known) and how it is a very important resource to a wide range of forest dwelling organisms such as birds, fungi, plants, mosses and in particular insects. While larger diameter deadwood is typically in short supply in Irish plantations (except in the form of stumps) there is an abundance of fine woody debris due to various ongoing forestry operations. Mr Deady has examined in particular clearfell and thinning debris (brash) in Irish plantations in order to determine the diversity and fraction of specific Diptera (true flies) that are deadwood reliant.