Flora, Fauna & Fisheries References - Constraints Report - North - N9 N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Motorway Scheme - Kildare National Roads Design Office

Constraints Report > North > 9 Flora, Fauna and Fisheries Menu > 9.9 References

9 Flora, Fauna and Fisheries

9.9 References

The following references have been consulted:

Colhoun, K. (2001). Irish Wetland Bird Survey 1998-99. BirdWatch Ireland,Dublin.
Curtis, T. G. F. and McGough, H. N. (1988). The Irish Red Data Book. 1. Vascular plants. The Stationery Office, Dublin.
Dwyer, R. B. (2000). Protecting nature in Ireland. The NGO Special Areas of Conservation shadow list. Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Dublin.
Kurz, I. and Costello, M. J. (1999). An outline of the biology, distribution and conservation of lampreys in Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 5. Dúchas, the Heritage Service, Dublin.
Moorkens, E. A. (1999). Conservation management of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera. Part 1: Biology of the species and its present situation in Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 8. Dúchas, the Heritage Service, Dublin.
Reynolds, J. D. (1988). Conservation management of the white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes. Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 1. Dúchas, the Heritage Service, Dublin.
Whilde, A. (1993). Irish Red Data Book 2: Vertebrates. HMSO, Belfast.

Table 9.1 : Evaluation of sites for Flora, Fauna and Fisheries in route corridor assessment

Rating

Importance of ecological sites

Importance of fisheries waters

Internationally important

Site qualifying for designation as proposed SAC or SPA, therefore subject to the EU Habitats Directive

Internationally important

Designated salmonid waters under the EU Freshwater Fish Directive. Rivers designated as SACs for Annex II freshwater species

Nationally or regionally important

Site listed as proposed NHA or containing habitats which are nationally or regionally rare

Nationally important

Other major salmonid waters

High value, locally important

Sites containing semi-natural habitat types with high biodiversity. High degree of naturalness. Locally rare habitats or species

High value, locally important

Small streams with known salmonid populations. Larger waters with some fisheries value

Low value, locally important

Artificial habitats which provide some secondary wildlife habitat of local value

Low value, locally important

Small streams without known salmonid populations

Very low value

Modified sites or sites with very low habitat diversity

Very low value

Polluted waterways with no current fisheries value.

Unknown value

Sites of possible ecological value which require further investigation at optimum season to establish importance

Unknown value

Sites of possible fisheries value requiring further survey

Table 9.2 : Designated conservation areas within the northern section of the N9/N10 Kilcullen-Waterford route corridor

Site name	Code	Status	General site description/main habitat types/rare species
River Barrow and River Nore	2162	pcSAC	Long, narrow site incorporating the river corridors and associated bankside habitats of the Barrow, Nore and parts of some of the main tributaries. Important for five Annex I habitats: floating river vegetation (3260), alluvial forests (91E0), old sessile oak woods (91A0), petrifying springs (7220) and salt meadows (1330) Vascular plants: meadow saffron, nettle-leaved bellflower, Borrer’s saltmarsh grass, hemp nettle, meadow barley, opposite-leaved pondweed, ivy broomrape, greater broomrape, saw-wort, bird cherry, Killarney fern Mammals: otter, Daubenton’s bat* Birds: Greenland white-fronted goose, whooper swan, Bewick’s swan, kingfisher, peregrine. (I-WeBS count site) Fish: salmon, twaite shad, smelt, brook lamprey, river lamprey, sea lamprey *Invertebrates: white-clawed crayfish, freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera, M. margaritifera durrovensis)*
Grand Canal	2104	pNHA	Main channel and banks of the Grand Canal, Barrow Line. Habitats include calcareous grassland, reedswamp, scrub and woodland. Proposed on the NGO shadow list (Dwyer, 2000) as an SAC for the Annex I priority habitat, *species-rich calcareous grassland (6210)
Barrow Valley at Tankardstown Br.	0858	pNHA	Site comprising sections of the River Barrow and Grand Canal channels and associated semi-natural grassland and wetland habitats
Ballylynan	0857	pNHA	Series of wet meadows supporting rank, calcareous grassland
Ballycore Rath	1751	pNHA	Unimproved grassland, small woodland stands and a rath on the slopes of a moraine
Oakpark Lake	0810	pNHA	Shallow artificial lake surrounded by reedswamp and broadleaved woodland. Important for breeding and wintering waterfowl Birds: golden plover. (I-WeBS count site)
Cloghristick Wood	0806	pNHA	Mixed broadleaved/conifer woodland fringing the River Barrow
Newpark Marsh	0845	pNHA	Small marshy area with fen vegetation used as a feeding site by bats Mammals: Leisler’s bat, brown long-eared bat, pipistrelle bat
¹Dunmore Complex	1859	pNHA	Mosaic of wetland, woodland, old meadow and disturbed habitats in a series of depressions in gravels and boulder clays Vascular plants: nettle-leaved bellflower, basil thyme *Lower plants: Ricciocarpus fluitans* (liverwort)**
¹Ardaloo Fen	0821	pNHA	Wetland area beside the Neunna River that supports wet grassland and reedswamp
Esker Pits	0832	pNHA	Disused gravel pits with a mosaic of wet and dry habitats Vascular plants: Blue fleabane
Dunmore Cave	0401	pNHA	Limestone cave open to the public and used as a roosting site by bats Mammals: Natterer’s bat
Lough Macask	1914	pNHA	Small pond that fluctuates in size. Important for aquatic plants
Ballymoon Esker	0797	pNHA	Unimproved calcareous grassland on an esker ridge with important populations of two rare plants. Proposed on the NGO shadow list (Dwyer, 2000) as an SAC for the Annex I priority habitat, species-rich calcareous grassland (6210) Vascular plants: green-winged orchid, basil thyme*

1 = sites that overlap with, or are sub-sites of River Barrow and River Nore pcSAC 2162

pcSAC = proposed candidate Special Area of Conservation

pNHA = proposed Natural Heritage Area

Annex I = list of habitats of conservation importance in the EU Habitats Directive

* = Annex I priority habitat (in danger of disappearance)

I-WeBS = Irish Wetland Bird Survey

Rare and protected species include those listed in the Flora Protection Order, 1999, in the Irish Red Data books for vascular plants (Curtis and McGough, 1988) and vertebrates (Whilde 1993), and in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive.

Table 9.3 : Rare plant records for sites in the study area, excluding those from designated conservation areas (see Table 9.2)

Plant name	County	Location of site	Grid ref.	Last seen	Status
Blue fleabane *Erigeron acer*	Kilkenny	Roadstone gravel pits north of Kilkenny	S50 58	1991	V
Blue fleabane *Erigeron acer*	Kilkenny	Near the railway station in Kilkenny	S504560	1994	V
Blue fleabane *Erigeron acer*	Carlow	Gravel pits on both sides of the Barrow near Muine Bheag	S69 59	1991	V
Blue fleabane *Erigeron acer*	Carlow	Clonmelsh Pit east of Milford	S72 70	1991	V
Musk thistle *Carduus nutans*	Carlow	North-east of Carlow town near the Dublin road	S735778	1993	IN

Red Data Book categories: V = Vulnerable; IN = Indeterminate

Table 9.4 : I-WeBS data for sites in the study area.
Counts are given as the sum of the annual maxima of each species.

Site name	94/95	95/96	96/97	97/98	98/99	5yr mean
River Barrow	1779	2675	2082	1945	1870	2070
Oakpark Lake	550	742	798	483	501	615

Table 9.5 : Fisheries value of the main water bodies in the study area

Site name		Importance of ecological sites	Rating
Levitstown Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Grange Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
River Douglas	Tributary	Important spawning area for salmonids	B
Fuer River	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Lerr River	Tributary	Important for salmonids. Three main tributaries: Palatine Stream, Graney River and Fushoge River. Lamprey (unspec.) in Palatine Stream	B
Burren River	Tributary	Contains salmonids. Lamprey (unspec.) in the lower reaches	C
Ballynabole Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Oldleighlin Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Monefelim River	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Gowran River	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
*Nore catchment*
River Nore	Main channel	Designated Salmonid Water. Proposed as an SAC for salmon (Dwyer, 2000). Good stocks of brown trout. Brook and sea lamprey common; sea lamprey spawn between Thomastown and Inistioge. Records of white-clawed crayfish and freshwater pearl mussel.	A
Dinin River	Tributary	Important for salmonids. Lamprey (unspec.) in the lower reaches. Four main tributaries: Clogh, Cloghnagh and Muckalee rivers, Castlecomer Stream.	B
Pococke Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
*Barrow catchment*
River Barrow	Main channel	Good stock of brown trout. Salmon, bream and pike also present. Lamprey (unspec.) in the upper reaches	A
Tully Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
Athy Stream	Tributary	Contains salmonids	C
River Greese	Tributary	Good stock of brown trout. Lamprey (unspec.) in upper reaches Two main tributaries: Grangecon Stream and Burtown Stream	B

Sources: Southern Regional Fisheries Board, Reynolds (1998), Kurz and Costello (1999), Dwyer (2000)

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