National Survey of Limestone Pavement and Associated Habitats In
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National survey of limestone pavement and associated habitats in Ireland Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 73 National survey of limestone pavement and associated habitats in Ireland Sue Wilson & Fernando Fernández Ecologic Environmental & Ecological Consultants Ltd. Citation: Wilson, S. & Fernández, F. (2013) National survey of limestone pavement and associated habitats in Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manual s, No. 73. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland. Cover photo: Black Head-Poulsallagh Complex SAC © NPWS Keywords: grassland, heath, scrub, conservation status, assessment, invasive species, structure and functions The NPWS Project Officers for this report were: John Cross; [email protected] and Deirdre Lynn, [email protected] Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & R. Jeffrey © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2013 ISSN 1393 – 6670 Limestone Pavement in Ireland __________________________ Limestone Pavement in Ireland __________________________ Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Limestone pavement in Ireland................................................................................................................ 7 Definition of Limestone pavement........................................................................................................... 7 Habitats and species associated with limestone pavement in Ireland................................................... 9 Limestone pavement and associated habitat classification....................................................................10 Conservation of Limestone pavement.....................................................................................................12 Scope of the report....................................................................................................................................14 Summary of the pilot survey................................................................................................................14 Project tasks...........................................................................................................................................15 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................16 Pre-survey .................................................................................................................................................16 Site selection..............................................................................................................................................16 Field survey methods ...............................................................................................................................19 Site surveys and general data recorded...............................................................................................19 Recording of relevés .............................................................................................................................22 Photographs ..........................................................................................................................................23 Data capture ..........................................................................................................................................23 Quality control ......................................................................................................................................23 Habitat mapping.......................................................................................................................................23 National Limestone pavement distribution map................................................................................24 National Limestone pavement maps...................................................................................................25 Mapping of habitats within potential NHA sites................................................................................25 Mapping of habitats within monitoring sites......................................................................................26 Quality control ......................................................................................................................................26 1 Limestone Pavement in Ireland __________________________ Vegetation data analysis ..........................................................................................................................27 Data preparation...................................................................................................................................27 Analysis techniques..............................................................................................................................28 Assessment of EU Annex I habitat conservation status.........................................................................30 Overview...............................................................................................................................................30 Conservation status assessment at site level.......................................................................................31 Conservation status assessment at national level...............................................................................41 Ranking of potential NHA sites using conservation and threat scores ................................................43 Results ..........................................................................................................................................................47 General survey results..............................................................................................................................47 General site surveys..............................................................................................................................47 Habitat mapping.......................................................................................................................................52 National Limestone pavement distribution map................................................................................52 National Limestone pavement distribution, range and favourable reference range maps .............56 Mapping of habitats within potential NHA sites ...............................................................................56 Mapping of habitats within monitoring sites .....................................................................................57 Vegetation data analysis ..........................................................................................................................58 Cluster Analysis and Indicator Species Analysis ...............................................................................58 Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling................................................................................................60 Habitat classification ................................................................................................................................64 Group 1 Exposed Limestone pavement ..............................................................................................67 Group 2 Wooded Limestone pavement ..............................................................................................79 Group 3 Holcus lanatus-Trifolium repens Grassland Group ............................................................83 Group 4 Festuca ovina/rubra - Succisa pratensis Grassland Group..................................................94 Group 5 Dryas octopetala Heath Group ...........................................................................................102 Group 6 Sesleria caerulea - Thymus polytrichus Grassland Group................................................106 Group 7 Calluna vulgaris Heath Group............................................................................................116 Assessment of EU Annex I habitat conservation status.......................................................................123 2 Limestone Pavement in Ireland __________________________ Conservation status assessment at site level .....................................................................................123 Conservation status assessment at national level .............................................................................132 Ranking of potential NHA sites using conservation and threat scores...............................................148 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................150 Habitat mapping.....................................................................................................................................150 Recommendations...............................................................................................................................150 Vegetation analysis