Farmland Biodiversity
| Native Irish Hedgerows | Field Margins | Birds of Conservation Concern |
Farmland Biodiversity/Natural Heritage
Teagasc advisory services focus on increasing awareness of Biodiversity. Biodiversity includes our native flora, fauna and habitats in which they exist. Our native Irish flora species include: 1228 flowering plants (161 under threat); 78 ferns; 3 conifers; 759 mosses and liverworts; 3,500 fungi; 1,050 lichen (34 under threat); and more than 1,400 algae. Irish fauna species include: 31 mammals (3 under threat); 168 birds (29 under threat); 1 reptile; 3 amphibians (1 under threat); 27 fish (9 under threat); and more than 12,000 invertebrates. Habitats are places where wildlife exists.
Farmland biodiversity
The Irish landscape with its associated biodiversity has been shaped by millennia of agricultural activity, with nature providing the raw material. Because so much of Ireland is farmed, Irish wildlife or biodiversity depends on farmland habitats. Everywhere on a farm is a habitat. A field of ryegrass or corn contains a small number of species. A hedgerow contains hundreds. Good habitats include field margins, native woodland, bogs and species rich grassland. Flora and fauna are adapted to live in different habitats. While a raised bog is incredibly important, not all species live there.
Designated Sites
Natural Heritage Areas are important habitats in Ireland with a varied or rare species. Some are important internationally.
Special Areas of Conservation are important for flora, for example the Burren.
Special Protection Areas are important for birds, for example the Shannon Callows.
Click here to view designated areas on the National Parks and Wildlife website.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service also provide an online mapping tool that allows members of the public view all site designation. Click here to view NPWS Map Database.
Commonages are lands which are farmed by a group of farmers. There are 613,133 ha of commonage land in Ireland, involving over 12,000 farmers. While some commonage area may be designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) some are not. Commonage Framework Plans were introduced to address the issue of overgrazing.
Certain activities restricted within NHAs, SACs and SPAs can only be carried out with the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. These are called Notifiable Actions. Notifiable actions vary depending on the type of habitat that is present on the site. Many other activities can only be undertaken with permits or licences. The activities listed in the Notifiable actions are not prohibited but require the landowner/occupier to consult (in practice with the local Conservation Ranger) in advance. The consultation form required is available for download Notifiable Action Application Form
Common farmland habitats
Designated habitats cover over ten per cent of the country. However, all our wildlife cannot exist there. Every farm contributes to biodiversity. The most common farmland habitats are hedgerows and field margins. The network of habitats throughout the countryside provides connectivity for wildlife.
Biodiversity in REPS
REPS (Rural Environment Protection Scheme) is an agri-environment scheme that rewards farmers for carrying out their farming activities in an environmentally friendly manner. Numbers participating exceeded 59,000 at the end of 2006. Farmers must undertake two out of sixteen biodiversity options. There were also six optional Supplementary Measures. REPS Factsheets giving a breakdown of options chosen in each county.
Sensitively managed farmland can greatly benefit wildlife and help halt the decline of Ireland’s biodiversity.
You can contact local Teagasc environmentalists at Teagasc County Office.
