Restoration of Bogs:
Bogs are of high importance for biodiversity and have distinctive assemblages of animal, fungal and plant species. The peat in bogs is an important place for the storage of carbon. When peat decays, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Undisturbed, bogs function as a carbon sink.
For more information please see the following links:
- Peatland Action Plan
- Blanket Bog Restoration in Ireland
- Best Practise in Raised Bog Restoration
- Rewetted and Restored Peatlands
- Mad about the Bog
- Abbeyleix Bog Project
Restoration of Wetlands:
Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. Water saturation largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial species. The prolonged presence of water also creates conditions that favour the growth of specially adapted plants.
Restoration of Native Grasslands:
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses. Sedge and rush can also be found along with clover, herbs, thistles, docks and native wildflowers. Rabbits, Mice and Frogs are common to many types of grassland and in turn attract predators such as Kestrels, Buzzards and Foxes. Natural grasslands are some of the most biodiverse habitats in Ireland.
Important functions of grasslands include:
- They provide a food source for many types of wildlife.
- Healthy grasslands can store carbon.
- Wet grasslands can provide really important feeding habitats for thousands of wild birds (eg ducks, geese and swan) that spend their winter in Ireland.
