RARE MONITORING 2018

Geranium purpureum © Zoe Devlin Cephalanthera longifolia © Zoe Devlin

What is it? In 2017, we launched a small scheme on rare plant monitoring. Where recorders had submitted recent casual records of rare to the Centre, they were asked if they would be willing to visit their rare plant population once a year during its flowering period and to count the total number of individuals present. Data on the rare plant location, the count and additional information about the site is submitted online to the Data Centre. The project has been discussed and agreed with the NPWS. It is framed around the 2016 Red List and is mainly focused on monitoring vulnerable, near threatened and rare least concern species. In 2017, volunteers monitored 37 populations across 22 species. The scheme was promoted again in 2018 and a target of at least 50 populations being monitored was set for this year.

Why is it important? When assessing the national conservation status of very rare species according to IUCN Red List FAST FACTS 2018 methodology, it is recommended that you use annual population count data. Given the numbers of rare plant 108 That’s the total number of rare plant species a country might have, this populations that were monitored in 2018 information can be difficult to collect in any volume. This citizen science project relies on the generosity of expert volunteers to ‘keep an eye’ on 53 rare populations near them and to That’s the number of different rare plant submit standardised count data once a species that were monitored in 2018 year. When collated centrally over time, this information makes a very important contribution towards 38 efforts to protect these species. That’s who many people contributed to the scheme in 2018 Thank you Huge thanks to all those who contributed to the scheme in 2018 – we have far exceeded our expectations for 123 this year! It is hard to emphasise how That’s the total number of populations valuable the information is in conserving now in the scheme since 2017 these plants into the future. Number of populations monitored by species in 2018

Species No of pops 2016 Red monitored List status Achillea maritima (Cottonweed) 1 CR Ajuga pyramidalis (Pyramidal Bugle) 3 VU Allium ampeloprasum var. babingtonii (Babington's Leek) 1 LC Anacamptis morio (Green-winged orchid) 5 VU Arenaria norvegica (Arctic Sandwort) 2 VU Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood) 1 VU Asparagus prostratus (Wild Asparagus) 1 EN Ballota nigra (Black Horehound) 1 NT Betonica (Betony) 1 NT Cardamine impatiens (Narrow-leaved Bittercress) 1 EN Carex divisa (Divided Sedge) 1 EN Centaurium pulchellum (Lesser Centaury) 1 NT Cephalanthera longifolia (Narrow-leaved Helleborine) 4 VU Chaerophyllum temulum (Rough Chervil) 1 VU Clinopodium acinos (Basil Thyme) 2 NT Clinopodium ascendens (Common Calamint) 1 LC Coeloglossum viride (Frog Orchid) 3 NT Crambe maritima (Sea-kale) 4 NT Cuscuta epithymum (Dodder) 1 LC officinale (Hound's-tongue) 1 NT Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides (Narrow-leaved Marsh-orchid) 1 LC Epipactis phyllanthes (Green-flowered Helleborine) 1 EN Galeopsis angustifolia (Red Hemp-nettle) 3 VU Gentianella campestris (Field Gentian) 1 NT Geranium purpureum (Little-Robin) 6 NT Glaucium flavum (Yellow Horned-poppy) 6 NT Hordeum secalinum (Meadow Barley) 2 VU Huperzia selago (Fir clubmoss) 1 LC Hypericum hirsutum (Hairy St John's-wort) 1 VU Hypopitys monotropa (Dutchman's pipe) 3 NT Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanum 2 LC Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort) 3 LC Lithospermum officinale (Common Gromwell) 2 NT Neotinea maculata (Dense-flowered Orchid) 2 NT Oenanthe fistulosa (Tubular Water-dropwort) 2 NT Ophrys insectifera (Fly Orchid) 6 NT Papaver argemone (Prickly Poppy) 1 VU Parentucellia viscosa (Yellow Barsia) 2 NT Puccinellia fasciculata (Borrer’s Saltmarsh-grass) 1 NT Pyrola rotundifolia (Round-leaved Wintergreen) 1 NT Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima (Round-leaved Wintergreen 1 VU Scilla verna (Spring Squill) 3 LC Scrophularia umbrosa (Green Figwort) 1 NT Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle) 1 NT Sisyrinchium bermudiana (Blue-eyed Grass) 1 LC Sorbus hibernica (Irish Whitebeam) 1 VU Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Irish Lady's-tresses) 1 NT Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady's-tresses) 7 NT Teucrium scordium (Water Germander) 2 LC Trichomanes speciosum (Killarney Fern) 2 LC Trifolium ornithopodioides (Bird's-foot Clover) 1 LC Verbena officinalis (Vervain) 3 NT Viola persicifolia (Fen Violet) 1 NT Total: 108

• Some of those above are monitored as a series of subpopulations. • 27 of these populations were monitored in both 2017 and 2018. • An additional 14 were monitored in 2017 and it is the intention that they be monitored again in 2019. One population with retrospective data from 2007 is included, bringing the total populations currently in the scheme to 123. • A small amount of 2017 data was submitted within 2018, bring the total populations monitored last year to 41 (it was 37 at time of the 2017 newsletter) Map showing the hectads within which rare plants were monitored in 2018

Those people who contributed to the scheme in 2018 were:

Amanda Browne, Anne Harrington-Rees, Anne Marie Byrne, Bill Brazier, Brendan McSherry, Brian Moran, Chris Huxley, Damaris Lysaght, David Thompson, Deirdre Morrissey, Eamonn McLoughlin, Eamonn Twomey, Eoin McGreal, Finola Finlay, Geoff Newell, Hammy Hamilton, Helen Carty, Jamie O’Neill, Jim Hurley, John Conaghan, John Fogarty, John 'Jackie' O'Connell & Brendan Sayers, Laurence Laide, Leon van der Noll, Lynn Stringer, Mary Howard, Mary Mahoney, Oisin Duffy, Oonagh Conway, Paul Green, Paul Murphy, Paul O'Flaherty, Paula O'Meara, Ralph Sheppard, Rodney Daunt, Therese Kelly, Úna FitzPatrick, Zoe Devlin. What happens to the data? All data submitted is double checked. Upon validation, it is annually loaded into the National Vascular Plant database held by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and made available through ‘Biodiversity Maps’. Given the rarity of the species, they are loaded into this system as 1km2 records.

The full dataset is stored internally within the Data Centre in the dedicated web portal as monitoring data and can be added to year upon year. Volunteers can request a copy of their own data at any time. This full dataset is made available to the NPWS as required.

How will it be used? The true value of these data are in the longer term trends that they will provide. If annual counts are carried out on the populations into the future it will provide early warning signs of threats. It will also help improve the accuracy of future conservation assessments of the species. It is the intention of the Data Centre that this is a longer-term data stream to support rare plant conservation in Ireland.

How were the species selected? Species were not deliberately selected. The scheme has been developed organically around those recorders who happened to submit casual records of very rare species. These species were cross referenced with the 2016 Irish Plant Red List to select those that it would be most valuable to have trend data on. It does not involve deliberately searching for rare species. It is the intention that the scheme continue to grow in this way.

Plans for 2019 It is hoped to continue the scheme again in 2019 and to try to increase the number of rare plant populations monitored to 150. It is the intention to slowly develop a high quality data steam in this way over the coming years.

Can I monitor other species? Yes, if you are aware of other rare species near you that you feel it would be useful to monitor annually please get in touch.

Can I take part? Yes, we are always grateful for new volunteers. If you have not participated before, but are aware of a population of any of the species monitored in 2017-2018, please get in touch directly. As the monitoring data is not made publicly available, this allows me to minimise the chance of the same population being inadvertently monitored by multiple people [email protected]