Report No. 260 Impact of Cattle Access to Watercourses: Literature Review on Behalf of the COSAINT Project Authors: Paul O’Callaghan, Mary Kelly-Quinn, Eleanor Jennings, Patricia Antunes, Matt O’Sullivan, Owen Fenton and Daire Ó hUallacháin www.epa.ie ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Monitoring, Analysing and Reporting on the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for Environment protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset • Monitoring air quality and implementing the EU Clean Air for for the people of Ireland. We are committed to protecting people Europe (CAFÉ) Directive. and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation and • Independent reporting to inform decision making by national pollution. and local government (e.g. periodic reporting on the State of Ireland’s Environment and Indicator Reports). 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EPA RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2014–2020 Impact of Cattle Access to Watercourses: Literature Review on Behalf of the COSAINT Project (2014-W-LS-6) EPA Research Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by Teagasc, Dundalk Institute of Technology and University College Dublin Authors: Paul O’Callaghan, Mary Kelly-Quinn, Eleanor Jennings, Patricia Antunes, Matt O’Sullivan, Owen Fenton and Daire Ó hUallacháin ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is published as part of the EPA Research Programme 2014–2020. The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. The authors would like to acknowledge the members of the project steering committee, namely Adrian Collins, Bryan Kennedy, Donal Daly, Donal Grant, Fiona Regan, Karen Daly, Martin McGarrigle, Mary McMahon, Mary Ryan, Sara Vero, Seamus Barron and Suzanne Linnane. DISCLAIMER Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The Environmental Protection Agency, the authors and the steering committee members do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned, or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. 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EPA RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2014–2020 Published by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland ISBN: 978-1-84095-797-6 October 2018 Price: Free Online version ii Project Partners Paul O’Callaghan Matt O’Sullivan Department of Environment, Soils and Land School of Biology and Environmental Science Use Science Centre West Teagasc University College Dublin Johnstown Castle Research Centre Wexford Belfield Ireland Dublin 4 Tel.: +353 53 917 1200 Ireland Email: [email protected] Tel.: +353 1 716 7777 Email: [email protected] Mary Kelly-Quinn School of Biology and Environmental Science Owen Fenton Science Centre West Department of Environment, Soils and Land University College Dublin Use Belfield Teagasc Dublin 4 Johnstown Castle Research Centre Wexford Ireland Ireland Tel.: +353 1 716 7777 Tel.: +353 53 917 1200 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Eleanor Jennings Daire Ó hUallacháin Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Department of Environment, Soils and Land Studies Use Department of Applied Sciences Teagasc Dundalk Institute of Technology Johnstown Castle Research Centre Wexford Dundalk Ireland Ireland Tel.: +353 53 917 1200 Tel.: +353 42 937 0200 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Patricia Antunes Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies Department of Applied Sciences Dundalk Institute of Technology Dundalk Ireland Tel.: +353 42 937 0200 Email: [email protected] iii Contents Acknowledgements ii Disclaimer ii Project Partners iii Executive Summary ix 1 Introduction 1 2 Environmental Parameters 3 2.1 Environmental Policy 3 2.2 Impact of Stressors on Environmental Parameters 4 2.3 Habitat Alteration as a Result of Cattle Access 7 2.4 Physico-chemical Changes 11 3 Hyporheic Zone 12 3.1 Definition of the Hyporheic Zone 12 3.2 Fauna of the Hyporheic Zone 12 3.3 Impact of Land Use Disturbance on the Hyporheos 13 3.4 Macroinvertebrate Responses in the Hyporheic Zone 14 4 Impact of Cattle Access on Aquatic Communities 16 4.1 Algal Bio-indicators 16 4.2 Diatom Bio-indicators 16