Slender Green Feather-Moss)
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ISSN 1393 – 6670 Monitoring methods for Hamatocaulis vernicosus (Mitt.) Hedenäs (Slender Green feather-moss) in the Republic of Ireland Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 91 Monitoring methods for Hamatocaulis vernicosus Mitt. Hedenäs (Slender Green feather-moss) in the Republic of Ireland Christina Campbell1, Nick Hodgetts2 and Neil Lockhart3 1 [email protected]; 2 Cullin Views, 15 Earlish, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9XL, Scotland, UK; 3 National Parks and Wildlife Service Citation: Campbell, C., Hodgetts, N. & Lockhart, N. (2015) Monitoring methods for Hamatocaulis vernicosus Mitt. Hedenäs (Slender Green feather-moss) in the Republic of Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 91. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland. Keywords: Habitats Directive, Annex II, monitoring, conservation status, habitat, ecology, moss, bryophyte Cover photo: Hamatocaulis vernicosus © Neil Lockhart The NPWS Project Officer for this report was: Dr Deirdre Lynn; [email protected] Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & R. Jeffrey © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2015 ISSN 1393 – 6670 Monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ____________________________ Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Description of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ..................................................................................................... 3 Conservation obligations ........................................................................................................................... 5 International distribution of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ............................................................................. 6 Distribution of Hamatocaulis vernicosus in the Republic of Ireland ...................................................... 8 Habitat of Hamatocaulis vernicosus .......................................................................................................... 14 Introduction to monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ............................................................................ 16 Introduction to Range Assessment for Hamatocaulis vernicosus .......................................................... 17 Introduction to Population Assessment for Hamatocaulis vernicosus ................................................. 20 Introduction to Habitat for the Species Assessment for Hamatocaulis vernicosus ............................. 22 Introduction to Future Prospects Assessment of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ......................................... 22 Introduction to Overall Conservation Assessment of Hamatocaulis vernicosus................................. 24 Methodology for monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ......................................................................... 25 Broad-scale monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus .............................................................................. 25 Fine-scale monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ................................................................................. 26 Preparation for fine-scale monitoring visit ........................................................................................ 26 Locality Survey Card and Assessment sheets ................................................................................... 27 Extent of occurrence and area covered by the population (m2) ...................................................... 28 2 x 2 m plots for Population Assessment and Habitat for the Species Assessment ..................... 28 Sampling of shoots for identification of male and female gametangia ......................................... 31 Section A – Population Assessment of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ...................................................... 32 Section B – Habitat for the Species Assessment ................................................................................ 33 Section C – Assessment of Future Prospects ..................................................................................... 36 Monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ____________________________ Section D – Assessing Conservation Condition at the individual locality level .......................... 38 Section E – Assessing Overall Conservation Status for Hamatocaulis vernicosus in the Republic of Ireland ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 40 References ...................................................................................................................................................... 41 Appendix I – Individual locality information ........................................................................................... 45 Locality No. 1: Meentygrannagh, Co. Donegal; Grid ref. C02_06_ .................................................... 46 Locality No. 2: Rathavisteen, Co. Mayo; Grid ref. F982371 ................................................................. 56 Locality No. 3: Largan More, Co. Mayo; Grid ref. F902240 ................................................................. 63 Locality No. 4: Uggool, Co. Mayo; Grid ref. F927187 .......................................................................... 71 Locality No. 5: Owenbrin, Lough Mask, Co. Mayo; Grid ref. M062628 ............................................ 78 Locality No. 6: NW of Gortachalla Lough, Co. Galway; Grid ref. M225375 ..................................... 86 Locality No. 7: Scragh Bog (Portnashangan), Co. Westmeath; Grid ref. N423589 ........................... 92 Locality No. 8a: Below Sgilloge Loughs, Co. Waterford; Grid ref. S286123 ................................... 101 Locality No. 8b: Nire River Valley, Co. Waterford; Grid ref. S279116 ............................................. 110 Locality No. 8c: Coumtay, Co. Waterford; Grid ref. S29850801 ....................................................... 118 Locality No. 9: Commas, Co. Cavan; Grid ref. H1296727857 ........................................................... 124 Appendix II - GPS points and associated data for maps ....................................................................... 131 Monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ____________________________ Executive Summary Hamatocaulis vernicosus is a pleurocarpous moss listed on Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna). H. vernicosus, commonly known as the Slender Green feather-moss, has distinctive hooked shoot tips and leaves that are strongly curved, are often pleated length-ways and are frequently tinged with red at the bases. It occurs in mesotrophic fens and flushes. H. vernicosus can appear similar to other fen species, such as Warnstorfia exannulata and in the past has also been confused with other species, such as Scorpidium cossonii and Palustriella commutata. H. vernicosus is dioicous and sporophytes are rare across its distribution and have never been reported in Ireland. It has a circumboreal distribution and although widespread in Europe, it is rarely common. It is scattered and rare in the Republic of Ireland, with 11 extant populations in the counties of Waterford, Galway, Wexford, Meath, Westmeath, Wicklow, Donegal, Cavan and Mayo, occurring in lowland transition mires and upland flushes. Wetlands in Cos. Mayo and Galway form the main stronghold for this species, with only scattered records elsewhere. H. vernicosus is categorised as Near Threatened on the Irish Red List of rare and threatened bryophytes. However, Ireland has an international obligation to conserve the species and its habitats and it is protected under the Flora (Protection) Order, 2015. Ireland also has a responsibility to monitor H. vernicosus populations under Article 11 of the EU Habitats Directive and, under Article 17 of the Directive, to report on the species conservation status every six years under the parameters Range, Population, Habitat for the Species and Future Prospects. The current overall conservation status of the species in the Republic of Ireland is Favourable. A field survey of 7 of the 11 H. vernicosus localities was undertaken in 2009–2011 to record information on population size, structure, associated vegetation and environmental variables. From analysis of data collected, ecological indicators and associated targets were derived to assess the condition of each locality and monitoring methods were developed. 1 Monitoring of Hamatocaulis vernicosus ____________________________ Acknowledgements This project was funded by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. We would like to thank Dr Deirdre Lynn for her support. Thanks also to Dr Naomi Kingston of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), formerly of NPWS, for her support with GIS devices and programmes. Thanks to Paul Duffy of NPWS and Teresa Tuttle,