Illaun Farm-Forest EIP Report by Meadhbh Costigan
This report will provide the first follow-up assessment to the initial baseline survey carried out in 2021, which documented the ecological condition of the spruce plantation known as the Illaun Farm-Forest (Costigan 2021). The Biodiversity Metric 3.1 was used to score the site as it allowed for the rapid assessment of biodiversity indicators. These indicators can be influenced by management practices and they can be easily measured - two factors which make them particularly suitable for conservation work. As such, the biodiversity metric is an effective tool for guiding ecosystem restoration and monitoring changes in biodiversity overtime.
The original result in August 2021 was poor (22/39). The follow-up survey carried out in July 2022 also yielded a result of moderate (26/39). This demonstrates a significant increase in biodiversity has been achieved at the Illaun Farm-Forest in less than 12 months. Ecological restoration is underway and the ecological health of the site is improving.
The ecological condition of the forest improved across three biodiversity indicators, namely; age distribution of trees, number of native tree species, and woodland regeneration. These improvements can all be attributed to planting a diversity of native saplings in the woodland edges and open spaces. This demonstrates how tree planting can make a significant contribution to ecosystem restoration in spruce plantations.
Other biodiversity enhancing actions were carried out onsite however these did not impact the assessment score, namely; erecting bird boxes and transplanting herbaceous flora from a nearby native woodland. While these actions may indeed support biodiversity, the impact was not significant enough to make a measurable difference to the biodiversity score. This shows the importance of taking a targeted scientific approach to ecosystem restoration.
The next steps in ecosystem restoration can be determined from the survey results. Firstly, the invasive non-native plant species present onsite should be removed, namely; montbretia, box honeysuckle, and fuchsia. Secondly, the stand of immature ash is to be felled as it is infected with dieback. This will reduce threats to ecosystem health associated with woodland disturbance and disease.
This project is funded by The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and is part of The European Innovative Project.
