Marl Lake (Habitat 3140) Survey and Assessment Methods Manual
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ISSN 1393 – 6670 N A T I O N A L P A R K S A N D W I L D L I F E S ERVICE MARL LAKE (HABITAT 3140) SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT METHODS MANUAL Cilian Roden, Paul Murphy, James Ryan & Philip Doddy I R I S H W I L D L I F E M ANUAL S 125 National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) commissions a range of reports from external contractors to provide scientific evidence and advice to assist it in its duties. The Irish Wildlife Manuals series serves as a record of work carried out or commissioned by NPWS, and is one means by which it disseminates scientific information. Others include scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. The views and recommendations presented in this report are not necessarily those of NPWS and should, therefore, not be attributed to NPWS. Front cover, small photographs from top row: Limestone pavement, Bricklieve Mountains, Co. Sligo, Andy Bleasdale; Meadow Saffron Colchicum autumnale, Lorcan Scott; Garden Tiger Arctia caja, Brian Nelson; Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, David Tierney; Common Newt Lissotriton vulgaris, Brian Nelson; Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris, Jenni Roche; Raised bog pool, Derrinea Bog, Co. Roscommon, Fernando Fernandez Valverde; Coastal heath, Howth Head, Co. Dublin, Maurice Eakin; A deep water fly trap anemone Phelliactis sp., Yvonne Leahy; Violet Crystalwort Riccia huebeneriana, Robert Thompson Main photograph: Snorkeller surveying charophyte vegetation in a marl lake, Cilian Roden Marl Lake (Habitat 3140) Survey and Assessment Methods Manual Cilian Roden, Paul Murphy1, James Ryan & Philip Doddy2 1Eireco, 2Woodrow Sustainable Solutions Keywords: marl lakes, Ireland, sampling methods, condition assessment, charophytes, cyanobacterial crust Citation: Roden, C., Murphy, P., Ryan, J. & Doddy, P. (2020) Marl Lake (Habitat 3140) Survey and Assessment Methods Manual. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 125. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland. The NPWS Project Officer for this report was: Áine O Connor; [email protected] This IWM was edited by Áine O Connor ISSN 1393 – 6670 An tSeirbhís Páirceanna Náisiúnta agus Fiadhúlra 2020 National Parks and Wildlife Service 2020 An RoinnTithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, 90 Sráid an Rí Thuaidh, Baile Átha Cliath 7, D07 N7CV Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, 90 North King Street, Dublin 7, D07 N7CV Contents Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................... i 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of this Irish Wildlife Manuals ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Defining and identifying marl lakes ................................................................................................. 2 2 Sampling charophytes and other macrophyte vegetation ...................................................................... 5 2.1 Planning field work ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.1 Access ............................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Selection of sampling transects ..................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3 Field data-sheets ............................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Equipment ............................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Vehicle .............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.2 Boat ................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Canoe ................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.4 Boat equipment ............................................................................................................................... 7 2.3.5 PPE Equipment ............................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.6 General survey equipment: ........................................................................................................... 8 2.2.7 Snorkelling gear .............................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Biosecurity ............................................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1 Biosecurity risks .............................................................................................................................. 9 2.3.2 Biosecurity protocol ...................................................................................................................... 10 2.3.3 Reporting on invasive alien species ........................................................................................... 10 2.4 Field survey ....................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Snorkel survey ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.4.2 Scuba survey .................................................................................................................................. 11 2.4.3 Position location ............................................................................................................................ 12 2.4.4 Sampling and recording data ...................................................................................................... 13 2.4.5 Automation .................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.6 Additional data ............................................................................................................................. 14 2.4.7 Photography .................................................................................................................................. 15 2.4.8 Follow up on shore ....................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Storage of field data .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.6 Identification of plant specimens .................................................................................................... 16 2.7 Data management and analyses ..................................................................................................... 17 3 Sampling and analysing the cyanobacterial crust .................................................................................. 20 3.1 Site selection....................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Fieldwork equipment ....................................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Fieldwork 1: preparation.................................................................................................................. 21 3.4 Fieldwork 2: estimating crust cover ................................................................................................ 21 3.5 Fieldwork 3: crust sampling & transportation .............................................................................. 21 3.6 Microscopy ......................................................................................................................................... 22 3.7 Pigment analysis ................................................................................................................................ 23 4 Assessing the conservation condition of marl lakes .............................................................................. 25 4.1 Defining reference conditions for Irish marl lakes ....................................................................... 25 4.2 Parameters for assessing marl lake conservation condition ........................................................ 25 4.2.1 Area ................................................................................................................................................. 26 4.2.2 Charophyte species and vegetation zones ................................................................................. 26 4.2.3 Euphotic depth .............................................................................................................................