County Wexford Biodiversity Action Plan 2013-2018
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County Wexford Biodiversity Action Plan 2013-2018 Endorsed by the Elected Members of Wexford County Council on the 11 th November 2013 Protecting County Wexford’s Biodiversity Through Actions and Raising Awareness COUNTY WEXFORD BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN 2013-2018 Endorsed by the Elected Members of Wexford County Council on the 11 th November 2013 To Protect County Wexford’s Biodiversity Through Actions and Raising Awareness ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to gratefully acknowledge all those who made a submission to the plan and the members of the Wexford Biodiversity Working Group for their valuable contribution to the plan. Thanks are also extended to the Steering Committee members, which included Cliona O’Brien from the Heritage Council and Lorcan Scott, NPWS. Thanks are also extended to Dr.Amanda Browne & Padraic Fogarty who prepared the audit and review of the biological resource. Art and photography credits are paid to the entrants of the 2011 Biodiversity Art and Photography competitions. ACRONYMS BAP – Biodiversity Action Plan BoCCI - Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland BWG – Biodiversity Working Group cSACs - Candidate Special Areas of Conservation Flora Protection Order - Flora (Protection) Order, S.I. No. 94 of 1999. Habitats Directive - 1992 EU Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature NBAP – National Biodiversity Action Plan, (. National Biodiversity Action Plan, Dúchas. 2002, and ‘Actions for Biodiversity 2011-2016, Ireland’s National Biodiversity Plan’, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 2011. NHA – Natural Heritage Area SAC – Special Area of Conservation SPA – Special Protection Area The Convention – UN Convention on Biological Diversity, signed at Rio Earth Summit 1992 The Guidelines – Guidelines for the Production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans, Heritage Council, 2003. UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Definition of Biodiversity: The 1992 United Nations, Earth Summit defined “biological diversity” as “the variability among living organisms form all sources, including ‘ inter alia ’, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems”. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 1 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY........................................................ 4 1.1 What is Biodiversity? ................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Why Protect Biodiversity? ........................................................................................... 5 1.3 Why Produce a Wexford Biodiversity Action Plan? ................................................... 7 1.4 Local Biodiversity Action Plan Process ...................................................................... 8 1.5 Consultation and Education Programme .................................................................... 9 1.6 Role of the Local Authority in the Conservation of Biodiversity ............................. 10 1.7 Implementation of the Plan ........................................................................................ 11 SECTION 2: BIODIVERSITY AND THE LAW .............................................................. 12 2.1 Sites of European Importance – SPA’s and SAC’s ................................................... 12 2.2 Sites of National Importance and the Wildlife Acts 1976 & 2000 ............................. 14 SECTION 3: COUNTY WEXFORD’S BIODIVERSITY ................................................. 18 3.1 The Landscape of Wexford ........................................................................................ 18 3.2 Geological Diversity in County Wexford ................................................................... 18 3.3 Overview of Habitats .................................................................................................. 22 3.3.1 Marine Habitats ..................................................................................................... 23 3.3.2 Coastal Habitats .................................................................................................... 25 3.3.3 Salt Marsh Habitats ................................................................................................ 28 3.3.4 Sand Dune Habitats .............................................................................................. 30 3.3.5 Waterbodies .......................................................................................................... 32 3.3.6 Freshwater ............................................................................................................ 34 3.3.7 Heath ..................................................................................................................... 35 3.3.8 Grassland and Marsh ............................................................................................ 36 3.3.9 Peatlands .............................................................................................................. 37 3.3.10 Woodland, Forestry and Hedgerows ................................................................ 39 3.3.11 Urban Biodiversity ............................................................................................ 43 3.4 Overview of Important and Protected Species ......................................................... 44 3.4.1 Flora ...................................................................................................................... 44 3.4.2 Invertebrates ......................................................................................................... 45 3.4.3 Fish ........................................................................................................................ 48 3.4.4 Amphibians ........................................................................................................... 49 3.4.5 Birds ...................................................................................................................... 50 3.4.6 Mammals ............................................................................................................... 56 3.4.7 Marine Species ...................................................................................................... 60 3.5 Overview of Threats to Wexford’s Biodiversity ....................................................... 63 3.6 Invasive Species ....................................................................................................... 64 3.7 Local Biodiversity ..................................................................................................... 66 3.8 Current Work for Biodiversity in Wexford................................................................ 67 SECTION 4: ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY ................................................................. 73 4.1 Objectives and Actions .............................................................................................. 74 4.2 Proposed Monitoring & Review ................................................................................. 80 SECTION 5: WHAT CAN YOU DO? ............................................................................ 83 5.1 When Building a House ............................................................................................. 83 5.2 Wildlife Gardening and Conservation Tips ............................................................... 84 5.3 Community Biodiversity Conservation ..................................................................... 85 5.4 Wildlife at School ....................................................................................................... 85 5.5 Wildlife on the Farm ................................................................................................... 86 5.6 Bats, Birds, Buildings and You ................................................................................. 86 5.7 What you can do for the birds in winter! ................................................................... 87 5.8 The Biodiversity Bugs! .............................................................................................. 88 5.9 More Bees Please! ..................................................................................................... 88 5.10 Native Trees and Shrubs of Ireland ........................................................................... 88 APPENDIX 1 - CONSULTEES AND CONSULTATION PROCESS ............................. 90 APPENDIX 2 - LEGISLATION RELATING TO BIODIVERSITY .................................. 99 APPENDIX 3 – IMPORTANT HABITATS AND SITES IN COUNTY WEXFORD ....... 101 APPENDIX 5 – GEOLOGICAL SITES ........................................................................ 132 GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................ 136 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ‘Biodiversity’ is a shortened version of ‘biological diversity’ and simply means the variety of life on earth. It includes the whole of the natural world from species regarded as common to those critically endangered. The biodiversity of County Wexford contributes enormously to the local economy, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and forestry, but also in less apparent ways such as