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Online edition: ISSN 2009-0900 Print edition: ISSN 2009-8464 ISSUE 12 Autumn/Winter 2015 IRELAND All Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020 Working together to make Ireland a place where pollinators can survive and thrive Distinguished Recorder Biodiversity Biodiversity Why I record of the Year 2015 Research Beginners Biodiversity Padraig Whooley of Using Citizen Science Data Dr Brian Nelson introduces The appeal of recording the Irish Whale and to protect Fox, Dog and the Shieldbugs Ireland’s wildlife Dolphin Group Human Health Contents NEWS .................................................................................................................................................3 Ireland is buzzing ........................................................................................................................6 Biodiversity Ireland Issue 12 Autumn/Winter 2015 Biodiversity Ireland is published by the National Dr Úna Fitzpatrick on the All Ireland Pollinator Plan Biodiversity Data Centre. Enquiries should be sent to the editor, Juanita Browne, [email protected] Distinguished Recorder Award 2015 ............................................................................. 10 The National Biodiversity Data Centre, Padraig Whooley of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Beechfield House, WIT West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford. Tel: +353 (0)51 306240 BIODIVERSITY BEGINNERS – The Shieldbugs .....................................................12 Email: [email protected] Dr Brian Nelson introduces this varied group Web: www.biodiversityireland.ie Management Board Why I record Biodiversity ....................................................................................................15 The National Biodiversity Data Centre is governed by Dr Liam Lysaght explores his drive to record a Management Board, established by the Heritage Council. The Management Board is responsible for BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH – modelling Fox distribution ............................17 setting the strategic direction of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and for ensuring Dr Tomás Murray on this use of citizen science proper corporate governance. BIODIVERSITY TALES ........................................................................................................19 The composition of the Management Board: Bats, Whales, Bryophytes and Bugs Dr Mary Kelly-Quinn (Chair) University College Dublin Mr Michael Starrett Chief Executive, The Heritage Council Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe Director, National Parks Staff of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and Wildlife Service Dr Micheál Ó Cinnéide Director, Environmental Dr Úna Fitzpatrick has Colette O’Flynn has Protection Agency overall responsibility for the responsibility for all aspects Dr Peter McLoughlin Head of School of Science and Computing Irish Pollinator Initiative and of the work of the Data Department, Waterford development of a national Centre on Invasive Species. Institute of Technology plant recording strategy. Úna She manages the National Mr Bill Callanan Senior Inspector, Department of also leads the Data Centre’s Invasive Species Database, Agriculture, Food and the Marine work on the Irish Vegetation Classification System provides national coordination of invasive species and the Red List Programme, and is currently working data and information, and has contributed to the Mr Nigel Monaghan Keeper, National Museum of Ireland – on the roll-out of a National Sampling Framework to development of policy development at the European Natural History Division deliver more efficient national survey methodologies. level. Ms Rachel Kenny Director of Planning, An Bord Pleanála Dr Liam Lysaght, Director of Barry O’Neill looks after Mr Mark Wright Head of Evidence, Natural Environment the Data Centre, is responsible maintenance of the IT Division, Northern Ireland Environment Agency for the strategic direction and infrastructure of the Data planning of the work of the Data Centre, data management, Dr Matthew Jebb Director, National Botanic Gardens Centre. He has taken the lead and updating of the mapping Mr Michael Keatinge Director, on some of the outreach work system Biodiversity Maps. Barry is responsible Bord Iascaigh Mhara of the Data Centre, such as development of Ireland’s for development of the Data Centre’s website and The National Biodiversity Data Centre is an initiative of BioBlitz initiative. He is also Head of Delegation for the online record submission and management the Heritage Council and is operated under a service level agreement by Compass Informatics. The Centre Ireland to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. systems that support much of the data capture work is funded by the Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. He has expertise in ornithology, and is a keen butterfly of the Data Centre. recorder. Maria Walsh is Office Dr Tomás Murray is Manager of the Data Centre responsible for the Butterfly and deals with all aspects of and Bumblebee Monitoring the day-to-day management Schemes and the National of the Centre. She organises Biodiversity Indicators. Tomás the Data Centre’s annual workshop programme, recently produced a Bioclimatic Map of Ireland and and has responsibility for much of the social media deals with much of the data analysis and ecological communications of the Centre. modeling work of the Data Centre. He has a particular expertise in the ecology of social wasps. Lynda Weekes is carrying out a PhD research Rory O’Callaghan, an intern programme to develop with the Data Centre, is working a Classification of River on developing autecological Vegetation, and looks profiles for Ireland’s invasive after the management of the National Vegetation species, and also on the Database. She co-authored the ‘Guide to Ireland’s Catalogue of Ireland’s non-native species. Grasses’, recently published by the Data Centre. Large Carder Bumblebee © Leon van der Noll www.flickr.com/photos/leonvdn Director’s Comment I am often asked: ‘What value is This issue of Biodiversity Ireland shows that thanks to the there in collecting biodiversity efforts of many organisations and individuals, there is a great data?’ For me, the answer is quite deal of recording activity happening in Ireland. And these simple; the starting point for all data are being used in many ways to build the evidence-base biodiversity initiatives is knowing to better understand Ireland’s biodiversity resource, and what species occur where, and how that is changing. The systems in place for collection and how this is changing. Without analysis of cetacean data, for example, are very well developed assembling these building blocks thanks to the work of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. of information little progress can But for other taxonomic groups, particularly insects, there be made in ‘mainstreaming biodiversity’, the overriding is a real challenge to encourage the collection of more high objective of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Plan, or in quality data. Supports across the data collection spectrum are delivering conservation action. The publication of the needed, from the production of Irish identification resources, landmark All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, a call to action agreed by to supporting networks for mentoring and data validation, 68 partner organisations, has catapulted Ireland into a world- to processing and display of existing data. The National leader in trying to address the conservation of pollinators and Biodiversity Data Centre is working to support those who the ecosystem services they provide. The impetus for this are actively recording these challenging groups, but I am call to action arose from initial quantitative data, showing conscious that more needs to be done. that one third of all bee species in Ireland are threatened The reality of ‘mainstreaming biodiversity’ is still some way with extinction. And this conservation assessment was only off. But I hope that this issue of Biodiversity Ireland provides possible because there was a collection of historic and more an insight into the building blocks being put in place to make contemporary bee sightings documented by recorders across it easier for biodiversity needs to feed into decision-making the country. processes. News Lynda has also recorded vegetation plot data from 140 river sites Irish River Vegetation Research countrywide over the last two years: firstly from high status A postgraduate research project on Irish river vegetation rivers (EPAs Q5 status) for vegetation classification purposes continues with the financial support of the Irish Research and then from rivers with a variety of water quality conditions Council’s Employment-based Postgraduate Programme for indicator analysis. These field data and those in the River in partnership with the National Biodiversity Data Macrophyte Database will be analysed over the coming months Centre,University College Dublin and NPWS. The project to produce an Irish River Vegetation classification system and commenced in 2013 with the primary aim of producing a to identify macrophyte and bryophyte communities/species as National Vegetation Classification System for Irish rivers based suitable indicators of rivers with high quality status in terms of on aquatic macrophytes, i.e. vascular plants, bryophytes and biodiversity and the physical environment. We look forward to macroalgae. the results of this work in 2016. Although rivers in Ireland have a diverse range of habitats and conditions that are determined by a wide variety of environmental