ScopingScoping studystudy andand pilotpilot surveysurvey forfor aa nationalnational surveysurvey andand conservationconservation assessmentassessment ofof uplandupland habitatshabitats andand vegetationvegetation inin IrelandIreland P.M. Perrin, B. O’Hanrahan, J.R. Roche, & S.J. Barron November 2009 This study was commissioned and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government) Acknowledgements The authors would like to extend their gratitude to the following people who assisted greatly in The Scoping Study and Pilot Survey of Upland Habitats in Ireland Caitriona Douglas, Naomi Kingston, Deirdre Lynn, Gemma Wier, Rebecca Jeffrey, Rob Ovington, Marie Dromney, exeGesIS Spatial Data Management Ltd. (ESDM) Noreen Grealis, Lee McDaid, Sue Callaghan, Eoin McGreal, Tim Roderick, Orla Daley, Fionnuala O’Neill, Jim Martin, Kate McNutt, Una Fitzpatrick, David Holyoak, Rory Hodd, John Douglass, Catherine Farrell, Colmán Ó Críodáin, Fiona Dunne, Anne-Marie McKee, Alistair Headley, Angus McDonald, Graham Sullivan and all the staff at NPWS who contributed to this project. We are further indebted to the many landowners who permitted us to survey their lands and were provided background information. BOTANICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL & CONSERVATION CONSULTANTS LTD www.botanicalenvironmental.com 26 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 6328615/616, Fax: 01 6328601 Email: [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________________________ Cover photo: Oughty Craggy peak, Mweelrea, Mt, Co. Mayo © Simon Barron EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The uplands form our largest expanses of semi-natural habitats. They include areas of great scenic beauty, forming inspirational landscapes with a sense of wilderness and space. Almost 29% of the landmass of Ireland is estimated to be over 150 m in altitude, while almost 19% of the landmass can be considered to support upland habitats. The importance of upland habitats to plant and animal conservation is unquestionable with upwards of fourteen habitat types listed under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive and many rare and threatened bird and animal species being recorded in these areas. Furthermore, over 40% of the total area designated as candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) in Ireland is estimated to occur within land above 150m altitude. The primary objectives of the study and pilot survey were to devise an efficient strategy for conducting a National Survey of Upland Habitats (NSUH) in order to classify the vegetation; to map the distribution of the vegetation communities and habitats and to devise a monitoring program for assessing the conservation status of important upland vegetation communities and those associated with Annex I habitats of the EU Habitats Directive. Through the pilot survey the efficiency of different methodologies and approaches to surveying upland habitats was carried out at two sites: the Mweelrea Mountains and at Corraun Plateau, both in Co. Mayo. An additional eight upland sites were visited to test the suitability of the methods. For use during the pilot survey a provisional list of detailed vegetation types was developed. This was based largely on the phytosociological syntaxon of White & Doyle (1982), the upland communities of the British NVC (Rodwell, 1991, 1992) and experience of the project team. A range of approaches to vegetation mapping, relevé recording and condition assessment were considered. The most appropriate of these were selected for testing in the field. The preferred approaches were then used to complete the pilot field survey. These methods are detailed in the report. Post-survey data analyses methods, vegetation classification, conservation status assessments and monitoring methodologies are also detailed and the results of the field survey for the Corraun and Mweelrea pilot sites are presented. A series of recommendations are made, based on the field trials of the various techniques and the findings from the field survey. These recommendations are detailed in a Handbook for a National Survey of Upland Habitats. Guidance on field survey equipment and health and safety considerations are also outlined. A provisional classification of upland vegetation was produced in an objective manner using multivariate statistics. This was based on the relevés collected during the pilot survey and an additional 2000 relevés collated from other sources. Analyses comprised an initial round of cluster analyses which divided the dataset into six broad groups. These were then further divided into 39 more detailed vegetation types. Synoptic tables were produced for the vegetation groups. Collection of further relevés for key habitats will be of importance for the continued refinement of this provisional classification. A comprehensive suite of upland sites incorporating designated sites and un-designated upland sites from across the country was compiled. These were then ranked using a number of criteria including area, habitats present, and the presence of rare or noteworthy features. From this it is apparent which the most important sites in the country are. The ranked sites can be used to select sites to form a representative network of upland sites for monitoring conservation status of the Annex 1 and other internationally important habitats. The final chapter presents the proposed methodology for assessing the conservation status of Annex I habitats which occur in the uplands. Results of the conservation status assessments for the pilot survey sites at Corraun and Mweelrea Mountains are also presented. Scoping study and pilot survey for a national survey and conservation assessment of upland habitats and vegetation in Ireland Contents Page Acknowledgements Executive summary Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 General Background 1 1.2 Aims 2 1.3 Area of Interest 3 1.4 Vegetation studies of the Irish uplands 3 1.5 Classification of Irish upland vegetation 4 1.6 Conservation of Irish upland habitats 5 2. Pilot survey of upland habitats 10 2.1 Aims 10 2.2 Site selection 10 2.3 Site descriptions 15 2.3.1 Mweelrea Mountains 15 2.3.2 Corraun Plateau 15 2.3.3 Bricklieve Mountains and Keishcorran 15 2.3.4 Ben Bulben, Gleniff and Glenade Complex 18 2.3.5 Slieve League 18 2.3.6 Slieve Bloom Mountains 18 2.3.7 Slieve Mish 18 2.3.8 Mount Brandon 19 2.3.9 Foiltagarriff, Valentia Island 19 2.3.10 Sheeffry Hills 19 2.4 Review of potential field methodologies 19 2.4.1 Options considered for vegetation mapping 19 2.4.2 Options considered for relevé recording 23 2.4.3 Options considered for recording condition assessments 24 2.4.4 Communication 24 2.5 Access 24 2.6 Field survey 25 2.6.1 Vegetation mapping 25 2.6.2 Relevé recording 29 2.6.3 Condition assessment 30 2.7 Post-survey methodology 31 2.7.1 Soil analysis 31 2.7.2 Digitisation of mapped data 31 2.8 Appraisal of field methodologies 32 2.8.1 Aerial photograph interpretation and digitisation 32 2.8.2 Paper vs. digital mapping 32 2.8.3 Paper vs. digital data recording 33 2.8.4 Trimble Nomad mapper vs. standard PDA 33 2.8.5 Waypoint recording: Mapping software vs. Microsoft Excel Mobile 34 2.8.6 Relevé recording: TurbovegCE vs Microsoft Excel Mobile 34 2.8.7 Soil sampling 35 2.9 Results of field survey 35 2.9.1 Results of Corraun Plateau survey 35 2.9.2 Results of Mweelrea Mountains survey 54 2.9.3 Summary of relevé recording 56 2.10 Recommendations 57 2.10.1 Recommendations for preparations before fieldwork 57 2.10.2 Recommendations for fieldwork methods 60 2.10.3 Recommendations for fieldwork methods 61 2.10.4 Recommendations for data processing and report writing 68 2.11 Health and safety / equipment 70 3. Analysis of upland vegetation 73 Introduction 73 3.2. Methods 73 3.2.1 Data sources 73 3.2.2 Data preparation 73 3.2.3 Analysis techniques 74 3.3 Results 75 3.3.1 General 75 3.3.2 Synoptic tables 76 1 Agrostis capillaris – Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus group 79 1a Sesleria caerulea – Campanula rotundifolia vegetation type 79 1b Nardus stricta – Carex panicea vegetation type 80 1c Festuca ovina vegetation type 80 1d Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus – Festuca vivipara vegetation type 81 1e Pteridium aquilinum vegetation type 81 1f Deschampsia flexuosa – Calluna vulgaris vegetation type 82 1g Racomitrium lanuginosum – Diplophyllum albicans vegetation type 83 1h Juncus squarrosus vegetation type 84 1i Agrostis capillaris – Trifolium repens vegetation type 84 2 Calluna vulgaris – Erica cinerea group 85 2a Racomitrium lanuginosum – Cladonia uncialis vegetation type 85 2b Calluna vulgaris – Hypnum cupressiforme vegetation type 86 2c Eriophorum vaginatum – Eriophorum angustifolium vegetation type 87 2d Ulex gallii – Erica cinerea vegetation type 88 2e Sparse cover Calluna vulgaris vegetation type 89 3 Molinia caerulea – Erica tetralix group 90 3a Erica tetralix – Pleurozia purpurea vegetation type 90 3b Molinia caerulea – Anthoxanthum odoratum vegetation type 90 3c Schoenus nigricans – Rhynchospora alba vegetation type 91 3d Calluna vulgaris – Sphagnum capillifolium vegetation type 92 3e Trichophorum cespitosum – Eriophorum vaginatum vegetation type 92 3f Erica erigena vegetation type 93 3g Sphagnum palustre – Menyanthes trifoliata vegetation type 94 4 Narthecium ossifragum – Rhynchospora alba group 95 4a Sphagnum auriculatum – Sphagnum cuspidatum vegetation type 95 4b Rhynchospora alba – Eriophorum vaginatum vegetation type 96 4c Schoenus nigricans – Erica cinerea vegetation type 97 4d Molinia caerulea – Erica tetralix vegetation type 97 4e Eriophorum