Key gaps in Ireland’s biodiversity knowledge 2010
These are gaps identified during the knowledge quest process, which could be filled within a 10 year period.
- National Biodiversity Data Centre, 2010. Ireland’s Biodiversity in 2010: Knowledge Gaps. National Biodiversity Data Centre, Waterford. Download the full report from the right hand margin.
1. Managing Irish biodiversity data efficiently
National Biodiversity Infrastructure requirements:
- National Habitat Map
- National Vegetation Classification System
- Integrated Land Information Management System
- Maintain and expand taxonomic capacity
2. Tracking important changes in Irish biodiversity
National Monitoring programmes that need to be established:
- Soil Biodiversity Monitoring Programme
- Vascular Plant Monitoring
3. Improving knowledge of Irish biodiversity
(a) National checklists that need to be published:
- Fungi
- Diatoms
- Hemiptera (bugs)
- Crustaceans
- Sponges
- Elasmobranchs
- Marine fish
(b) Basic surveys that need to be carried out:
- Fens
- Freshwater habitats
- Vegetation of open habitats
- General marine (50 – 1,000m)
- Historic demesnes
- Freshwater algae
- Soil fauna
- True bugs
- Fungi
- Freshwater crustaceans
(c) National databases that need to be developed:
- Fungi
- Stoneflies
- Grasshoppers
- Saproxylic beetles
- Beetles (Ground beetles, chrysomelids, staphylinids)
- Diatoms
- True bugs
- Earwigs
- Elasmobranchs
- Crustaceans
4. Improving knowledge of the state of Irish biodiversity
Red lists that need to be completed:
- Vascular plants
- Lichens
- Hoverflies
- Mayflies
- Saproxylic beetles
- Freshwater crustceans
- Stoneflies
- Ladybirds
- Macromoths
- Ground beetles
- Seaweeds
- Marine molluscs
- Elasmobranchs
- Grasshoppers
- Dragonflies
