ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil Ireland’s Environment BIODIVERSITY IN IRELAND A Review of Habitats and Species John Lucey and Yvonne Doris ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford, Ireland. Telephone: +353 53 60600 Fax: +353 53 60699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie July 2001 BIODIVERSITY IN IRELAND C ONTENTS LIST OF BOXES . iii LIST OF FIGURES . iv LIST OF TABLES . iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . v INTRODUCTION . 1 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK . 2 HABITATS . 4 Forests and Woodland . 4 Hedgerows . 5 Fen and Bog . 6 Turloughs . 7 Freshwater Habitats . 8 Coastal and Marine Habitats . 8 SPECIES . 10 Flora (Plants) . 10 Fauna (Animals) . 15 DISCUSSION . 22 CONCLUSIONS . 29 POSTSCRIPT . 32 NOTES . 32 REFERENCES . 33 APPENDIX 1 . 38 PAGE II A REVIEW OF HABITATS & SPECIES L IST OF B OXES 1 IRISH GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE . 1 2 CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AND SEMI-NATURAL WOODLANDS . 4 3 BOGS . 6 4 TURLOUGHS . 7 5 COASTAL / MARINE HABITATS . 9 6 MAËRL COMMUNITIES . 9 7 LOWER PLANTS . 13 8 VASCULAR PLANTS . 14 9 KERRY SLUG . 15 10 FRESHWATER INVERTEBRATES . 16 11 MARSH FRITILLARY . 16 12 LAND SNAILS . 17 13 SOME RECENT INSECT AND MITE INTRODUCTIONS TO IRELAND . 17 14 FISHES . 18 15 AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES . 19 16A GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE . 19 16B BIRDS . 20 17 MAMMALS . 21 18 CETACEANS . 22 19 ANIMAL EXTINCTIONS AND INTRODUCTIONS DURING THE PAST MILLENNIUM . 23 20 OVERGRAZING . 24 21 GENETIC RESOURCES . 28 22 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY . 29 23 CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY . 30 PAGE III BIODIVERSITY IN IRELAND L IST OF F IGURES 1 FRAMEWORK FOR THE DESIGNATION OF NATURA 2000 SITES . 2 2 A SELECTION OF MAJOR AREAS DESIGNATED FOR CONSERVATION. 3 3 PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF PEATLANDS . 7 4 DISTRIBUTION OF KILLARNEY FERN . 12 BOX 7 DISTRIBUTION OF FOXTAIL STONEWORT . 13 5 DISTRIBUTION OF GIANT HOGWEED . 15 BOX 10 DISTRIBUTION OF PEARL MUSSEL . 16 6 DISTRIBUTION OF LARGE HEATH . 16 BOX 14 DISTRIBUTION OF ARCTIC CHARR . 18 BOX 16a GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE NUMBERS 1983-1997 . 19 7 DISTRIBUTION OF PINE MARTEN . 21 8 DISTRIBUTION OF RED DEER . 21 9 SOME EXAMPLES OF INTRODUCTIONS AND EXTINCTIONS OF SPECIES . 23 L IST OF TABLES 1 INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON BIODIVERSITY . ..