Water quality in Ireland 2006 - ups and downs

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched its 66 page 'Water quality in Ireland 2006 - Key Indicators of the Aquatic Environment' report.

Having monitored Ireland's surface and ground waters between 2004 and 2006, it shows "an improvement in river and lake water quality, but poorer quality in some groundwaters". Findings included that:

• River channel: 71% was of satisfactory water quality.
• Lake surface: 92% was of satisfactory water quality.
• Estuarine/coastal water bodies: 19% were eutrophic; 3% were potentially eutrophic.
• Groundwater samples: 57% contaminated by faecal coliforms; 25% exceeded the national guideline value for nitrate concentration for drinking water, and 2% breached the mandatory limit.
• Fish kills: fewer than in 2005, but still unreasonably high.
  

For more:

• Read Only One Ireland's posts on water in Ireland, including on the Nitrates directive
• Read more Ireland water reports on the EPA website
  
• Compare this report with Water quality for the period 2003 – 2005

Red squirrels pushed west as greys dominate the east

The latest survey of Irish squirrels, published October 2007, shows that grey squirrels now dominate the east of the country, with the threatened red squirrels pushed to the west, south-west and north-west regions.

Grey squirrels were introduced to Ireland in 1911 and are rapidly colonising the country. They damage broadleaf trees, outcompete red-squirrels for food, and are carriers of a squirrel pox virus that does more damage to red squirrel populations than to greys.

• Download Coford's Irish Squirrel Survey 2007 (52 pages, 4121 KB, PDF)

Kerry launches its biodiversity action plan

Co Kerry has launched a 4-year heritage and biodiversity plan. One of the objectives is to identify important unprotected or at-risk habitats, landscapes and archaeological sites.

Habitat of importance to Kerry’s biodiversity includes woodlands, aquatic ecosystems and rapidly declining hedgerows.

The Heritage Council has links to local county heritage plans.

Machairs in Mayo - a rare dune ecosystem.

Northwest Ireland has several areas of rare machair dunes including those stretching from Mulranny salt marsh to Rosmurrevagh peninsula in Clew Bay, Co.Mayo.

Machairs are fertile, low-lying dune areas - a unique form of coastal grassland (described as 'raised beaches' by Wikipedia). They are formed when sand catches in coastal vegetation, such as marram grass. Consequently, the plants gradually move upward, more sand is caught, and the land's surface is raised.

Although little research has been done into machairs, they are known to support a rich variety of species including many birds and insects (such as the belted beauty moth). Machairs also provide habitat for up to 150 species of flower, some of which are endangered and protected, including the Irish Lady's Tresses.

Machairs are vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels. In 2007, Mulranny village received the inaugural Notice Nature Biodiversity Award, part of Ireland's Tidy Towns competition. The award recognises over a decade of conservation work to protect and restore local machairs. The Mulranny Causeway loop walk provides access to part of the machairs.

• Wikipedia article on Machairs
• Read about the Belted Beauty Moth
• Irish Lady's Tresses Species Action Plan (36 pages, 239KB, PDF).

Ireland Flora & Fauna

Ask About Ireland's illustrated Introduction to the Flora and Fauna of Ireland, by Michael Viney is an enjoyable, informative read. Topics covered include:

• Howth Peninsula
• The Birds of Ireland
• Selected Wild Flowers of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
• The Flaming Wheel nature essays about the countryside of Wicklow and Dublin
• The Tobacco Growing Industry in Meath
• The Wildflowers of Bull Island: The Grassland Dunes
• Wild Plants of the Burren
• Wild Wicklow
• Wildlife of the Parks of South Dublin County
• Trees of Woodstock Arboretum, Kilkenny
• Flora and Fauna of Wexford Sloblands
• Flora and Fauna of Wicklow
• Flora of Wicklow
• Habitats of Carlow
  
  

Interactive maps of Ireland's environment

The Environmental Protection Agency's ENVision tool enables you to access and map information on Ireland's environment and land use. It includes information on:

• Air and water quality (including of rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal and bathing waters);
• Land cover information;
• Soil and subsoil;
• Locations of Water Framework Directive Protected Areas and River Basin Districts, hydrometric stations and river catchments;
• Location of towns, rivers and lakes;
• Facilities licensed by the EPA (e.g. facilities with waste licences).
  
  

Designation of Nature Conservation Sites in Ireland

The 22 page report 'Living with Nature, the Designation of Nature Conservation Sites in Ireland' outlines the different types of conservation site in Ireland, a guide to the designation process, consultation and planning issues, likely impact of designation on farming practices and land use and compensation for land owners and users.

It also includes examples of Irish conservation and special areas and a list of habitats listed in Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive for which sites have been selected in Ireland.

• Download Living with Nature, the Designation of Nature Conservation Sites in Ireland (22 pages, 1315KB, PDF). Published by Duchas, The Heritage Service

Maps of Protected Areas in Ireland

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is responsible, through the National Parks and Wildife Service, for the designation of conservation sites in Ireland. There are three types of protected areas in Ireland:

1. NHAs - Natural Heritage Areas
   A basic wildlife designation. Many NHAs overlap with SACs or SPAs. There are 802 that don't, covering 1,130 square kilopmeters.
2. SACs - Special Areas of Conservation
   Prime wildlife conservation areas, of importance in Irish and/or European context. These are selected and designated under the EU Habitats Directive and transposed into Irish law in the European Union (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. Ireland has 381 candidate Special Areas of Conservation, covering circa 10,000 square kilometres. Approximately 25 SACs are also designated SPAs. View map of Irelands Special Areas of Conservation.
3. SPAs - Special Protection Areas
   Primarily areas of importance to birds. Designated under the EU Birds Directive. 110 SPAs have been designated, with a further 25 proposed. View map of Ireland's Special Protected Areas.

Find out more at:

• Botanic Garden's Protected Areas in Ireland
• Environmental Protection Agency's page on Ireland's Protected Areas

Heath-bog habitat protection for endangered Hen Harrier

The blanket ban on planting forestry in certain areas important to the survival of the endangered hen harrier has been lifted (March 2007). Instead, the Government has established a new forestry management protocol for the forestry and farming groups who had objected to the ban.

Under the protocol, six Special Protection Areas (SPA), important to the hen harrier, have been designated. In these, limited sustainable and quota-based afforestation will be allowed . It is thought that this will facilitate the protection and enhancement of the hen harrier's preferred habitat, including heath and bog. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will monitor the protocol's impact on habitat.

The Special Protection Areas include the:

• Slieve Bloom mountains (Laois and Offaly);
• Stack's to Mullaghareirk mountains, West Limerick hills and Mount Eagle (Cork, Kerry and Limerick);
• Mullaghanish to Musheramore (Cork);
• Slieve Felim to Silvermines (Limerick and Tipperary);
• Slieve Beagh (Monaghan) and
• Slieve Aughty mountains (Clare and Galway).

Read more:

• UCC research project: Optimum scenarios for Hen Harrier conservation in Ireland
• Bird net: Related news, hen harrier information and controversy over new SPAs
• Coillte's Biodiversity Action Plan for the Hen Harrier
  
  

Ireland's changing land use

Ireland's land cover is as follows:

• Agricultural areas - 66.8%
• Wetlands -17.1%
• Forest and semi-natural areas - 11.9%
• Water - 2.3%
• Artificial surfaces - 1.9%

Between 1990 to 2000, artificial surfaces increased in area by a third - from 1.5% cent to 1.9% of total land cover. This is due to urban sprawl and developments in infrastructure and sports facilities.

Data is derived from the EU's Corine (Coordination of Information on the Environment) Land Cover initiative. Data for Ireland was updated in 1990, 2000 and 2006 (in progress).

Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency summarises the findings and publishes land use data sets on its Land Cover and Land Use pages and Corine Land Cover Mapping section.

Wildlife of urban parks in Dublin

South County Dublin contains around 16 square kilometers of public parks and open spaces. Not only enjoyed by people, these provide invaluable habitat and wildlife corridors for many fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, insects, plants, fungi...

Sightings include otters, foxes, herons, kingfishers, sparrowhawks, common frogs, smooth newts, red admiral butterflies and the now-scarce cowslip.

Ask About Ireland's report on the Wildlife and Parks of South Dublin County provides an overview of the wildlife that frequent the urban parkland of Dublin (and presumably, other cities) in Ireland. Habitats explored include the riparian - rivers, river bank, lakes and lakesides - grassland, hedgerows and woodlands.

Blanket Bog Restoration Project

The Blanket Bog Restoration Project project aims to restore some of active blanket bog in Ireland - including bogs at:

• the MacGillycuddys' Reeks, Co. Kerry
• Slieve Aughty, Co. Clare
• Nephin Beg, Crossmolina, Glenamoy and Bangor-Erris in Co. Mayo
• Barnesmore Gap and Lough Golagh in Co. Donegal
• the Ox Mountains in Co. Sligo, and
• the Slieve Blooms in Co. Laois.

The website provides information about the project, its bogs, and restoration techniques. Clickable maps of Ireland enable you to locate and find out more about the 20 project sites. The bog restoration project is managed by Coillte, and funded under the under the EU LIFE- Nature Programme.

Red Kite Reintroduction to Ireland

Red Kites are being reintroduced to Ireland. The reintroduction project will start in Co. Wicklow where thirty Kites will be released in 2007. This, once widespread, native bird of prey became extinct in Ireland in the eighteenth century, due to persecution, poisoning and woodland clearance.

The Red Kites are being sourced from Wales. After Wicklow, they will also be released in other locations in the east of Ireland. A similar project, planned for 2008, may reintroduce the birds to Northern Ireland.

Although the birds are natural scavengers, they feed extensively on earthworms, insects and small mammals such as rabbits. The Red Kite does not present any threat to livestock and may become a tourist attractions.

The Red Kite project is part of Ireland’s wider efforts to improve national Biodiversity. Ireland has the lowest range of birds of prey and owls in Europe.

The Wicklow Red Kite Project is a partnership between the Golden Eagle Trust, the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Welsh Kite Trust. It is funded by grants from DEHLG and the Heritage Council.

Dragonflies in Ireland

There are 32 species on the Irish dragonfly list. Of these, 22 are resident, including 11 'true' dragonfly species and 11 damselfly species. Other species include visitors, unconfirmed sightings and recent arrivals to Ireland (possibly as a result of climate change).

Irish damselflies and dragonflies start to appear around May. The Dragonflies in Ireland website includes information on dragonfly and damselfly life cycles, flight times, sightings, species found in Ireland and identification.

• The book Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies (Brian Nelson and Robert Thompson) covers dragonfly biology, ecology, habitats and associated fieldcraft skills in an Irish context. The book is available from the Ulster Museum Shop.

Reducing farming's impact on biodiversity

A new three-year project called AG Baseline is exploring how farming is impacting Ireland's biodiversity and what practices could be adopted to minimise the damage.

The study will measure the presence and range of birds, bumblebees, parasitic wasps and water insects on a sample of farms including sheep and dairy. A previous project, Ag Biota, identified these four species groups as being the best indicators of general biodiversity in Irish farms and established possible links between intensive farming methods (such as those involving chemicals and habitat destruction) and loss of biodiversity.

The scientists behind the study hope to identify farming practices that sustain biodiversity without compromising the farm's productivity. According to Dr Gordon Purvis of UCD's School of Biological and Environmental Science, who is leading the project:

"Farmers are the custodians of the land and it should be seen as an aid to help them to continue in that role."

The €1 million project is being funded by Ireland's Department of Agriculture.

• Read more about Ag Biota - Biodiversity in the farmed landscape
• Department of Agriculture's Agri Environment page

Rathlin Island yields 28 sponge species new to science

Dr Bernard Picton is curator of marine invertebrates at the Ulster Museum. He is also an outstanding underwater marine photographer.

His team's recent dives in the region of Ireland's tallest underwater cliffs at Rathlin Island, as part of a research programme, have confirmed 128 species of sponges, almost one third of all species known from Ireland and Britain. This includes 28 species that are new to science.

• See Picton's photos on the online Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland at www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife.

Information derived from another stunning article by Michael Viney in his 'Another Life' column, p9 of the Irish Times Weekend Supplement, 3 March 2007.

Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve

Lough Hyne, south west of Skibereen in West Cork, was designated Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve in 1981, thus also making it Ireland’s first Marine Nature Reserve.

This marine lake is both unusual and important due to its extraordinary diversity of species in its relatively small area – over 1000 species in less than 1 sq km. Some of its plants and animals are more commonly found in the deeper ocean. Others are historically of Mediterranean origin. The site contains several rare species including two fish; the Red-mouthed Goby and Couch’s Goby and two sea slug. One of these sea slugs, the 2cm long Facelina dubia, is only found in Lough Hyne, the Mediterranean and one site in the Bay of Biscay.

Lough Hyne’s biodiversity is partly due to its variety of habitats – including cliffs, boulders, gravel and mud slopes which experience varying exposure to waves and tidal currents. The average depth of water is around 25 metres increasing to 45 metres in places. It is fed from the sea by a narrow tidal channel known as 'The Rapids'.

• Find out about the Lough Hyne Interpretative Centre


• Research at Lough Hyne

31 species of butterfly in Ireland

There are 31 species of butterfly in Ireland. You can find about 28 of these species in the Burren in Co. Clare and 21 in Lullymore West bog in Co. Kildare.

Small

1. Common Blue
2. Holly Blue
3. Small Blue
4. Green Hairstreak
5. Purple Hairstreak
6. Brown Hairstreak
7. Small Copper
8. Dingy Skipper

Brown

1. Meadow Brown
2. Ringlet
3. Wall Brown
4. Speckled Wood
5. Grayling
6. Small Heath
7. Large Heath
8. Gatekeeper

White

1. Small White
2. Large White
3. Green-veined White
4. Wood White
5. Orange Tip
6. Brimstone
7. Clouded Yellow

Multi-coloured

1. Small Tortoiseshell
2. Peacock
3. Red Admiral
4. Painted Lady
5. Silver-washed Fritillary
6. Dark Green Fritillary
7. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
8. Marsh Fritillary

Find out more on Ireland's butterflies:

• See photos, read information on and find out where to spot all these butterfly species at www.irishbutterflies.com
• Buy the Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland the most comprehensive survey of butterflies ever undertaken in Britain and Ireland
• Visit Butterfly Ireland for distribution maps and photographs of Irish butterflies, caterpillars and pupae.
• Visit this UK focused website - a good source of information on butterfly species that are also found in Ireland http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

Ireland's peatlands under threat

According to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) it has recently become apparent that the Irish government

"are slowing down on their designation of Irish peatlands as Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). This inaction means that sites that are currently proposed as Natural Heritage Areas under national legislation (link), are in fact not protected at all".

The IPCC is particularly concerned about fens. Developers are at liberty to destroy them, which they often do:

"Two proposed NHA fens in Waterford - Kilbarry Bog and Ballina Lough have been
badly damaged. Even more depressing is the case of Girley Raised Bog in Co.
Meath, a designated NHA where a developer inserted drains all over the site"

The IPCC's Peatlands Under Threat Campaign aims to review the status of every peatland site in Ireland including

• a review and update of the boundaries, names, habitat and species designations of all existing and new peatland Special Areas of Conservation (SACs - a European Network of protected areas)


• a comparison of the IPCC's information on the boundaries, names and quality of all existing and new peatland Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) with similar information arising by a recent survey by the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Arising from these reviews the IPCC aims to publish a new strategic action plan to ensure longterm protection for Irish peatlands.

• Read the Irish Peatland Conservation Council Action Plan 2005


• Join the IPCC to support and get regular updates on their work

Kildare bog home to 21 of Ireland's 28(ish) butterfly species

Lullymore West Bog in Co. Kildare is being conserved by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council for its incredible diversity of butterflies. According to the IPCC:

"With 21 out of the 28 Irish resident breeding butterfly species finding refuge here, including the endangered Marsh Fritillary, this fragile wetland habitat is exceptional in Ireland... The remoteness of the bog is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it's fantastic for wildlife watching, but on the other it allows unscrupulous people to undertake anti-social activities at our bog, such as dumping, quad biking and tree felling."

In response the IPCC have developed a management plan to guide activities at the 4.5 hectare site for the next five years (to 2012). Plans include

• providing fencing, information signs and visitor guidance;
• carrying out habitat and species mapping and
• setting up a long term butterfly transect to enable ongoing monitoring.

You can find out more, see photos and donate to the Lullymore West project.

Other sources indicate that there are actually closer to 31 species of butterfly in Ireland.