Heritage Council

IRELAND’S FIRST NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY MAPPING SYSTEM LAUNCHED

Mapping System Illustrates Spread of Invasive Species such as the Grey Squirrel

Wednesday 20th May 2009: Ireland’s first National Biodiversity Mapping System was today launched by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, T.D. The launch took place at a press briefing held by the Heritage Council and National Biodiversity Data Centre to celebrate National Biodiversity Week and International Biodiversity Day (Wednesday 22nd May).

Speaking at the launch Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, T.D. commented, “Our biodiversity is a fundamental building block of our economy and is essential to our health and well-being. While often unseen and poorly understood its contribution to our lives cannot be underestimated. The work of the National Biodiversity Centre and The Heritage Council in promoting a better understanding of what is happening to our biodiversity and in making this vital information available to decision makers is critical if we are to halt the loss of biodiversity in Ireland”.

"I am delighted to be here to launch the National Biodiversity Mapping System, which will be a fantastic resource of information for local authorities, national government and our international efforts to work together to better understand what is happing locally as well as globally."

The National Biodiversity Mapping System will collate all of the information on Ireland’s biodiversity and make it available online. For the first time, Ireland will have a comprehensive national information system that will provide the necessary data on our biodiversity to meet local, national and international needs, including Ireland’s EU legal obligations. To date, the database contains approximately 400,000 records of 3,721 species, all of which are illustrated on background maps and aerial photos.

Conor Newman, Chairman of the Heritage Council, who established the National Biodiversity Data Centre, commented that, “the mapping system being launched today will bring biodiversity informatics into the 21st Century and become an invaluable tool for researchers, decision makers, conservation managers and the general public. The cumulative impact of different types of land use and climate change is having a profound affect on our natural environment. This mapping system is a massive undertaking and number one priority for understanding and tracking changes on species and their distribution, health and decline across the country”.

Speaking about the system itself, Liam Lysaght, Director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre said, “the mapping system will help us answer questions such as, how many species we have in Ireland? Where they occur and what changes are taking place? It will also help identify very early on, where invasive species are occurring, so that they can be tackled locally before becoming more widespread”.

“After habitat loss, invasive species are considered the next biggest threat to the conservation of biodiversity. Early intervention to stop the spread of invasive species is both essential and cost effective. An early warning system is needed to record the arrival of species, determine their status and distribution, and provide information to the appropriate authorities so they can take action. This National Biodiversity Mapping System provides the tool to enable such an early warning system to be put in place”, added Lysaght.

Examples of invasive species that the National Biodiversity Mapping System is currently tracking include;

The Red and Grey Squirrel - The National Biodiversity Mapping System currently tracks the distribution of Red and Grey Squirrels in Ireland, illustrating that although the invasive Grey Squirrel (which was introduced into Ireland by man in 1911) is still confined to the east of the country, it is posing significant threats and leading to a decline in Ireland’s native Red Squirrel and having commercial impacts on forestry – the grey squirrel eat the buds of the young trees and are one of the reasons it makes it difficult to plant more broadleaf forests in Ireland.

The Fringed Water Lily (Nymphoides Pelata) is an invasive specie that is threatening to cause serious damage to Ireland’s waterways. It is a small yellow-flowered water lily locally established in lakes, rivers and ponds throughout Ireland. Where it is introduced to relatively static, shallow and organically rich habitats it spreads rapidly and carpets extensive areas of watercourse. By doing this, it restricts light to resident aquatic plants and effectively eliminates them. In angling waters, it obstructs free casting and makes it difficult for anglers to land hooked fish safely. By logging on to the National Biodiversity Mapping System, local authorities will be able to see the current distribution of the Fringed Water Lily in Ireland’s Lakes and thus take action if required.

In 2000, the Migrant Hawker Dragonfly was present in two Irish sites. Over the past nine years, its range has moved north-westwards from Continental Europe, spreading throughout Britain to Ireland’s south and east coast. The National Biodiversity Mapping System enables us to track the change in distribution of the Migrant Hawker Dragonfly in Ireland as a result of climate change. 

For further media information:

Michelle Guinan, MKC Communications 01 7038604 / 086 3846630

Isabell Smyth, Head of Communications & Education, Heritage Council 0879676889

Liam Lysaght, Director, National Biodiversity Data Centre

Note to Editor:

The Heritage Council is the statutory body charged with identifying, protecting, preserving and enhancing Ireland’s national heritage. National heritage includes Monuments, Archaeological objects, Heritage objects, Architectural heritage, Flora, Fauna, Wildlife habitats, Landscapes, Seascapes, Wrecks, Geology, Heritage gardens and parks, and Inland waterways. Established under the Heritage Act 1995, and operating under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Heritage Council provides advice to the Minister, and partners and networks with Local Authorities and a wide range of other organisations and individuals to promote Ireland’s heritage.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is the national body established for the collection, collation, management and presentation of data on Ireland's biological diversity. The Centre was established in January 2007, and is based at Beechfield House, Waterford Institute of Technology (West Campus), Waterford.

The Red Squirrel has been found in Ireland since before the last ice age, and has been extinct a number of times. Although it was reintroduced in the 19th Century, it has again become rare and is currently absent from areas along the west and north coasts. This decline has coincided with the spread of the Grey Squirrel, which was introduced into Ireland by man in 1911.