Clare’s natural sites to be documented

FAMOUS for the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare has many other natural attractions, which will soon be documented in a bid to aid their preservation.

Communities and individuals throughout Clare are being asked to co-operate with a biodiversity action plan to record habitats and species.

In simple terms, biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life and the areas in which they live, from a garden patch to the world at large. It also includes human life, crops, the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

“Our plans seeks to put in place measures needed to conserve and protect rare and endangered animals, plants and their habitats which occur in the county,” explained Dr Simon Berrow, chairman of Clare Biodiversity Group.

There is growing evidence that human activities are destroying our natural world and EU leaders have pledged to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. Indeed, some experts say the loss of biodiversity is a bigger issue than climate change when you consider that once a species is lost, nothing can bring it back.

Urbanisation, intensive agriculture and industry, pollution and climate change are threatening Europe’s habitats and vulnerable species, which are already being stretched to the limit.

Around half of Europe’s wetlands and grasslands are endangered, as are 40% of mammals, including the Arctic fox, brown bear and marine mammals. At least 11,000 species could vanish.

In Ireland, less than 20% of bogs remain intact and about 12% of plants are in a perilous state.

The Clare group — one of the first in the country to draft a biodiversity plan — has a particular interest in the hedgehog, otter, red squirrel, cuckoo, hare, sea lamprey, barn owl, cowslip, purple sea urchin and the garden tiger moth, among others. Common in much of Clare, the red squirrel is, according to the group, lucky in that the grey squirrel, which has caused its decline in other parts of the country, has not yet managed to cross the Shannon. The cuckoo is declining, but numbers may be on the increase in Clare if indications from a recent survey are accurate.

The Burren is internationally know for its combination of plant life, while the Shannon Estuary is a hugely important site for over-wintering wildfowl and waders. The estuary is also home to what is regarded as the only resident group of bottlenose dolphins, numbering about 100, in Ireland.

The Cliffs of Moher house one of our principal seabird colonies, including the largest mainland puffin colony. The Kilkee Reefs, designated as a marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC), contain a significant rocky shore plant and animal communities found only on the western coast of Ireland.

Clare also has some of the cleanest wetlands and rivers, as well as many lakes and fens, especially in the east Burren area. Their value cannot be overestimated at a time when wetlands are declining throughout Europe due to drainage, industrial pollution, forestry and other problems.

Limestone landscape is internationally important. There are over 90kms of limestone caves in the Burren, 90% of which are in the Lisdoonvarna area, with Ailwee Caves being the only display caves open to the public.

Scrub is now encroaching on to limestone ground in some parts of the Burren and is a threat to typical plant and animals species in the area.

About 55 mammal species, 780 higher plant species and 21 freshwater species occur in the wild in Clare, with the Atlantic coast providing some of the best waters in Europe for catching a sight of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Eels are said to be threatened internationally, but are to be found in nearly every river and lake with access to the sea in Clare, according to the Clare Biodiversity Group. The largest eel fishery in the Republic is in Lough Derg. The lump sucker, an odd looking sea fish which comes in a range of colours, can be found in the Shannon Estuary.

Dr Berrow says recording wildlife in Clare can be a ‘fun thing’ to do, adding that people will be amazed by the plants, animals and habitats which exist almost on their doorsteps.

www.clarebiodiversity.ie or Clare Biological Records, Unit 1, Westgate Business Park, Ennis, Co Clare.