Agriculture and Food Science Research Collection
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- PublicationInvasive species mapping on Howth, Co. Dublin(Fingal County Council, 2018)Fingal County Council invited tenders for mapping of invasive species at Howth, Co. Dublin. The objective of the mapping was to fulfil the objectives of Action 1A (1.5) of the Howth Special Amenity Area Order Operational Plan 2015-2020: Control of invasive species with a particular focus on Rhododendron, Birch and garden plant escapes. The requirements of this project were two-fold. Firstly, Fingal County Council required that the coastal cliffs between Bellingham’s Farm and the Baily Lighthouse be surveyed for invasive species as there has been a lot of dumping of garden waste in this location over the past few decades, which has led to several invasive and exotic species establishing themselves on the cliffs. The cliffs are fully within the Howth Head Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the presence of invasive species is negatively affecting the native flora in this location. It was required that a site visit to the assigned location be carried out with Dr. Noeleen Smyth, National Botanic Gardens, in order to map and quantify (m2) the invasive and exotic species recorded. Dr. Emer Ní Dhúill carried out the desktop review of control measures of all invasive and exotic species encountered in order to determine the most appropriate methods of control. The second part of the project was to produce a map of Rhododendron ponticum L. around the Summit of Howth. R. ponticum control has been carried out by the Council for the past ten years and they required mapping of the Summit of Howth in order to target new stands of R. ponticum along the edges of the heathland and any remaining individual shrubs. The area to be mapped included the large stand of R. ponticum west of the Rhododendron Gardens at the Deer Park Hotel, Howth. The following report relates to the first part of the project which is the survey of the coastal cliffs between Bellingham’s Farm and the Baily Lighthouse. The requirements of the second part of the project will be submitted separately as a map of R. ponticum on the Summit of Howth in PDF and GIS format.
6 - PublicationMonitoring methods for Killarney Fern (Trichomanes speciosum Willd.) in Ireland(National Parks and Wildlife Service. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 2015)Trichomanes speciosum Willd is categorised as rare and vulnerable in Ireland and is listed under Annex II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora). T. speciosum, commonly known as the Killarney Fern or Bristle Fern, belongs to the Filmy Fern family (Hymenophyllaceae) and is the only European representative of the genus Trichomanes. T. speciosum is most abundant in the Azores, outside of which it is most frequently found in Ireland and Britain.
8 - PublicationInvasive alien species: the urban dimension: case studies on strengthening local action in Europe(IUCN European Union Representative Office, 2013-10-04)Invasive Alien Species (IAS) pose a significant threat to biodiversity in Europe, like elsewhere in the world. This threat is likely to increase in the future unless meaningful action is taken at all levels to control the introduction and establishment of these species and address those already introduced. It is estimated that the economic impact of IAS only in the European Union causes some 12.5 billion Euros worth of damage each year. Local and regional authorities have an important role to play in implementing international, EU and national biodiversity targets and can greatly contribute to raising awareness about IAS among decision-makers and citizens. With this publication, IUCN highlights the key role that European local authorities play in addressing the risks associated with biological invasions. IUCN aims to strengthen collaboration with all stakeholders in the urban environment and offers its scientific knowledge and expertise to support achieving the ambitious requirements of the future EU legislation.
6 - PublicationIntegrated plant conservation on Pitcairn Island, South Central Pacific(Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI), 2005-01)Pitcairn Island is a small, isolated island at the eastern extremity of the main group of Polynesian islands, roughly half way between New Zealand and South America and just south of the Tropic of Capricorn. The research interest of Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) in the island began in 1991 during the Sir Peter Scott Commemorative Expedition to the Pitcairn Islands, which focussed its attention mainly on ‘nearby’ Henderson Island (a World Heritage Site) and two atolls Oeno and Ducie. During this expedition it became apparent that the main conservation issues with the flora of these islands was on Pitcairn itself. As a U.K. Overseas Territory governed from the British High Commission in New Zealand, the responsibility for biodiversity conservation on the island rests with the UK Government. Accordingly, TCD and the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) secured funding from the U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1997 to examine in detail the floristics, vegetation communities and conservation status of the native flora.
6 - PublicationConservation assessment and monitoring methods for the Annex V Clubmoss group (Lycopodium spp.) in Ireland(Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 2015-09)Clubmoss species are moss-like plants without flowers. Ireland is home to four members of the Clubmoss group (Lycopodiaceae): Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart., Diphasiastrum alpinum (L.) Holub, Lycopodium clavatum L. and Lycopodiella inundata (L.) Holub. All four species are listed as a group in Annex V of the European Union Habitats Directive (92/42/EEC). Annex V lists species whose taking in the wild may be subject to management measures. Under Article 11 of the Directive, each member state is obliged to undertake surveillance of the conservation status of the species in the Annexes and under Article 17, to report to the European Commission every six years on their status. The conservation status of a species is assessed under four parameters: Range, Population, Habitat for the species and Future prospects. This project investigated these four parameters for the four species in the group and devised methods and protocols for the next round of reporting 2012-2018 which is due in 2019.
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