2019 Ecological Study of Visitor Movement Areas
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2019 Ecological Study of Visitor Movement Areas ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYING AND MONITORING OF THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME for: Fáilte Ireland 88-95 Amiens Street Dublin 1 by: CAAS Ltd. 1st Floor, 24-26 Ormond Quay, Dublin 7 September 2019 2019 Ecological Study of Visitor Movement Areas for the Environmental Surveying and Monitoring of the Wild Atlantic Way Operational Programme Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction and Background .......................................................................................... 5 Study Aims .......................................................................................................................... 5 Section 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 8 Flora Assessments ............................................................................................................... 8 Section 3 Results ......................................................................................................................... 10 Sheep’s Head, County Cork.................................................................................................. 10 Seefin Viewpoint, County Cork ............................................................................................. 16 Dursey Sound (previously named Garnish Point), County Cork ............................................... 21 Inch Strand, County Kerry ................................................................................................... 27 Banna Strand, County Kerry................................................................................................. 32 Spanish Point, County Clare ................................................................................................. 37 Flaggy Shore, County Clare.................................................................................................. 42 Traught Beach, County Galway ............................................................................................ 47 Derrigimlagh Bog, County Galway ........................................................................................ 52 Blacksod Harbour, County Mayo ......................................................................................... 57 Lacken Strand, County Mayo .............................................................................................. 62 Inishcrone Pier, County Sligo ............................................................................................. 67 Rosses Point Beach, Co. Sligo ............................................................................................ 72 Mountcharles Pier, County Donegal .................................................................................... 77 Carrickfinn Beach, County Donegal ..................................................................................... 82 Section 4 Discussion and Recommendations .................................................................................. 87 Section 5 References .................................................................................................................... 99 CAAS for Fáilte Ireland i 2019 Ecological Study of Visitor Movement Areas for the Environmental Surveying and Monitoring of the Wild Atlantic Way Operational Programme Table of Tables Table 1.1 Wild Atlantic Way Signature Discovery Points surveyed as part of the study ....................... 7 Table 2.1 Condition Assessment of Terrestrial Habitats .................................................................... 9 Table 3.1 Designated sites in proximity to Sheep’s Head and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ... 11 Table 3.2 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Sheep’s Head ............................................ 12 Table 3.3 Designated sites in proximity to Seefin Viewpoint and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Table 3.4 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Seefin Viewpoint ........................................ 18 Table 3.5 Designated sites in proximity to Dursey Sound and relevant sensitive ecological receptors . 22 Table 3.6 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Dursey Sound ............................................ 23 Table 3.7 Designated sites in proximity to Inch Strand and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ..... 28 Table 3.8 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Inch Strand ............................................... 29 Table 3.9 Designated sites in proximity to Banna Strand and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ... 33 Table 3.10 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Banna Strand .......................................... 34 Table 3.11 Designated sites in proximity to Spanish Point and relevant sensitive ecological receptor . 38 Table 3.12 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Spanish Point .......................................... 39 Table 3.13 Designated sites in proximity to Flaggy Shore and relevant sensitive ecological receptor .. 43 Table 3.14 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Flaggy Shore ........................................... 44 Table 3.15 Designated sites in proximity to Traught Beach and relevant sensitive ecological receptor48 Table 3.16 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Traught Beach ......................................... 49 Table 3.17 Designated sites in proximity to Derrigimlagh Bog and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 53 Table 3.18 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Derrigimlagh Bog ..................................... 54 Table 3.19 Designated sites in proximity to Blacksod Harbour and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 58 Table 3.20 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Blacksod Harbour..................................... 59 Table 3.21 Designated sites in proximity to Mullaghmore Head and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 63 Table 3.22 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Lacken Strand ......................................... 63 Table 3.23 Designated sites in proximity to Inishcrone Pier and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 68 Table 3.24 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Inishcrone Pier ........................................ 69 Table 3.25 Designated sites in proximity to Rosses Point and relevant sensitive ecological receptor .. 73 Table 3.26 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Rosses Point. ........................................... 74 Table 3.27 Designated sites in proximity to Mountcharles Pier and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 78 Table 3.28 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Mountcharles Pier .................................... 79 Table 3.29 Designated sites in proximity to Carrickfinn Beach and relevant sensitive ecological receptor ................................................................................................................................................... 83 Table 3.30 Summary details of each quadrat recorded at Carrickfinn Beach. .................................... 83 Table 4.1 Summary results of ecological monitoring at WAW signature Discovery Points undertaken in 2019 ........................................................................................................................................... 90 CAAS for Fáilte Ireland ii 2019 Ecological Study of Visitor Movement Areas for the Environmental Surveying and Monitoring of the Wild Atlantic Way Operational Programme Table of Figures Figure 1.1 Discovery Points along the Wild Atlantic Way surveyed during 2019 ................................. 6 Figure 3.1 Site context map of the Sheep’s Head Signature Discovery Point. .................................... 11 Figure 3.2 Sheep’s Head Discovery Point. The location of quadrats and designated sites are indicated. ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 3.3 Site context map of the Seefin Viewpoint Signature Discovery Point. ............................... 16 Figure 3.4 Seefin Viewpoint Discovery Point. The locations of designated sites are indicated. The location of quadrats and designated sites are indicated............................................................................... 18 Figure 3.5 Site context map of the Dursey Sound Discovery Point. .................................................. 22 Figure 3.6 Dursey Sound Discovery Point. The location of quadrats and designated sites are indicated. ..................................................................................................................................................