A Preliminary Report on Areas of Scientific Interest in County Offaly

An Foras CONSERVATION AND AMENITY Forbartha ADVISORY SERVICE Teoranta The National Institute for Physical Planning and Construction Research PRELIMINARY REPORT ON AREAS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN n C)TTNTY C)FFAT V L ig i6 n Lynne Farrell December, 1972 i n Teach hairttn Bothar Waterloo Ath Cllath 4 Telefan 6 4211 St. Martin's House Waterloo Road Dublin 4 J J 7 7 Li An Foras CONSERVATION AND AMENITY Forbartha ADVISORY SERVICE Teoranta The National Institute for Physical Planning and 7 Construction J Research PRELIMINARY REPORT ON AREAS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN COTTNTY (FFAT.Y 11 Lynne Farrell December, 1972 7 Li i s Teachhairtin J Bother Waterloo Ath Math 4 Teiefcn 64211 St. Martin's House Waterloo Road Dublin 4 w 7 LJ CONTENTS SECTION PAGE NO. Preface 1 B Vulnerability of Habitats 3. C General Introduction 6. D Explanation of Criteria Used in 9. Rating Areas and Deciding on Their Priority E Table Summarising the Sites 11. Visited J Detailed Reports on the Sites 16. Table Summarising the Priority of 119. the Sites and Recommendations for Their Protection J 7 U FOREWORD L1 7 jJ This report is based on data abstracted from the filesof the Conservation and Amenity Advisory Section, Planning Division, An Foras Forbartha; from J published and unpublished sources; and from several periods of fieldwork undertaken during August 1971 and September - November 1972.It is a J preliminary survey upon which, it is hoped, further research willbe based. The help of Miss Scannell of the National Herbarium, FatherMoore of U.C.D. Botany Department, Dr. Flegg, of the Geological Survey Office,and particularly that of Dr. Lamb, of An Foras Taluntais, is gratefullyacknowledged. The maps which appear in this report are reproduced fromthe Ordnance Survey by permission of the Government.(Licence No. 121/72). n J J SECTION A. Preface The.abundance of opencountryside in Ireland isimmediately apparent to anyone visitingthe island. Although muchof the land is artifically J fertilized, a large percentage isused as pasture, and eventhough the natural composition of thegrassland has been modified,it has not been ploughed and destroyed. Vast areasof upland blanket bog andthe red raised bogs of the Midlandsstill exist and many miles ofhedgerows border the small fields. 7 LJ One habitat which has beendecimated over the centuries iswoodland. Many of the original deciduouswoods have been felled and notreplaced. Planting of coniferous species onmarginal land has compensatedfor the loss in numbers, but not in ecologicalinterest. J 11 Ireland is rich in archaeologicaland geological sites also,and it is this J environmental and aesthetic diversitywhich is our national heritage - a heritage which requires anddemands the full attention of ourintellect if we are to continue to existin harmony with it and to ensureits survival. This particular report isconcerned with county planning inrelation to sites r, of scientific interest.Often these areas are ofeducational importance and of recreational value. What we areconcerned with at the present timeis the integration of these various interestswith the actual physical natureof the countryside. At the moment the Conservationand Amenity Advisory Service isattempting to visit, describe and record areasof natural and semi-natural habitatsthroughout the country. Localities ofspecific importance i.e. notedfor the occurrence of a rare species or rare naturalphenomenon, are also listed.Once representative examples have beendelimited, the development of the areaof rl interest and that of thesurroundings has to be considered as awhole unit. L-1 For example, if an area ofmarshland is considered to beof particular 1. J J scientific interest, then a drainagescheme in the neighbourhood could destroy the habitat. r1 U Having previously statedthat Ireland has a wealth ofnatural phenomena, is it possible to define thevalue in concrete terms?The key to the situation Li is that of diversity. The intricatenetwork of grassland mountains,lakes and woods provides an ever-changingvista for us to enjoy. Becauseof the diversity too, of human nature,there are many different waysin which we enjoy the count,;side.In order to rationalize thesituation, four categories may be distinguished - oneparticular area may be importantfor amenity, recreational, scientific or educational reasons,or a combinationof all four. The present problem is how tocombine all these interests inthat area, and it is at this stage that thework of the local authoritiesbecomes important. the 7th RobertBoote summarizes this importancein a statement issued at session of the EuropeanConference of Local Authorities - 'Local authorities hold the key tothe success of conservation inEurope. They carry out a wide rangeof functions which have a directimpact upon the physical environment. Planningand education - two ofthe most formative aspects of modern society - areof prime importance here.Local authorities can also developand manage considerable areasof land and water and most J have powers to create new amenitiesand landscapes. In theseand numerous equipped to conserve and enhancethose qualities rl other ways, they are well L of the environment that contribute somuch to the life and heritageof European man'. LJ (Reference Conservation - The HumanEnvironment Published by An Foras Forbartha,December 1971) n 2. J J SECTION-B J VULNERABILITY OF HABITATS Areas of scientific interest canbe damaged in many ways.They can be completely destroyed by scrub or treeclearance, by turf cutting orby scrub drainage, or they can sufferinsidiously through pollution,fertilization, grazing or overuse for recreation. Co. Offaly today has few extensivewoodlands. Remnants of originaloak forest are left standing on severalof the esker ridges whilst the onlylarge and at LJ naturally wooded areas are to befound in Charleville demesne Woodville near Birr.Because of the quarrying awayof the sand and gravel r1 J ridges, often only small pocketsof trees remain, in which the surviving plant and animal communities areseverely restricted. J Several of the original deciduouswoods, which have a diverse flora and fauna, have recently beenunderplanted or completely replacedwith conifers, r-1 which produce a monotonous habitat,devoid of diversity. -J Areas of mature and developingscrubland are to be found on the sidesof the esker ridges, around the edgesof the raised bogs, and on thefew outcrops of limestone pavement.Much of the scrubland remains intactat present simply because it is developingand has not yet reached the stagewhen clearance becomes a possibility. Hedgerows similarly survive untilthey spread into the roadway or grow tootall.In areas of developing scrubland there is the problem of maintaining areasof open grassland and examplesof scrub. Some areas need to bemanaged in order to conservethe grassland species and to allow otherareas toevolve naturally. Research intoforms of J management is in progress, but inorder to study the problem it is necessary to have experimental areasand control plots which areleft to evolve naturally. If sufficient areas cease to existthen it is impossible to find asolution to u 3. J 1 7 managing the few relict patches. ;J Another habitat which has been drastically reduced is that ofthe peatland. Offaly is covered by acres of raised red bogs or'hoch moor' as they are technically known. Much of the bogland has recently been excavatedby Bord na Mona. A map indicating the extent of theirworkings both past and present, is included in this report. Although there are manysmall areas remaining, it is important also to preserve large areas becauseof the 'fringe effects' and representativeness.Fringe effects are found around the edges of a particular ecological habitat where one habitat is affectedby its juxtaposition to another habitat and so is not a truerepresentation of one habitat, but rather a mixture of the two. The NatureConservancy in England has a minimum size of 50 acres for anature reserve so that a reasonable sample of the habitat can be observed and studied. Drainage of bogland also detracts from its value. Raheenmore andWoodfield Bog are two areas of raised bog in the countrywhich are of particular interest because of their wetness. Species which are extremly rare inIrelandthrive in these particular conditions. n Much of the county is low-lowing and the scientific interestof wet meadows U and marshes would be lost through drainage. The Shannon marshes,which n attract wildfowl, are an example of this type of area. u Many of the rivers in Offaly are free from pollutionas there is relatively little farming land which has artificial fertilizers added, and hencethere is little 'run off' into the streams.There are very few lakes, none of which suffer from organic enrichment and, the subsequent production of algalblooms 7l and depletion of oxygen content, leading to the death ofaquatic fauna and LJ flora.But rivers do not stop at county boundaries.Further upstream a pollutant may enter the river, thus adversely affecting the watercourse downstream, which may be in the next county.This is one case where the n country must be considered as a whole unit if remedialaction is to be taken. n Continual pressure from trampling or grazing can result in soilerosion, 4. Over-grazing has theeffect particularly on the shallowlimestone soils. J species, so that afew coarse, resistant of selecting outthe less robust plant 'species-poor' turf whichis of little value as species remain,resulting in a interest. The only areaswhich grazing land or as anexample of botanical esker ridges, where a are likely

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