sustainable use of biological diversity.pdf - India Environment Portal

Sustainable use of biological diversity in socio-ecological production landscapes
BurrenLIFE – Farming for conservation in the Burren
Dr. Sharon Parr 1 , Dr. Brendan Dunford 1 , Dr. James Moran 2 , Dr. Bryony Williams 1 and Mr. Ruairí Ó Conchúir 1
1
BurrenLIFE, Old School House, Carron, Co. Clare, Ireland.
2
Dept. Environmental Science, Institute of Technology, Sligo
1. introduction
The limestone landscape of the Burren has been
moulded by ice, etched by water and modified by
man. The local geology and climate were important
factors in the development of a distinct form of transhumance
known as ‘winterage’, which is synonymous
with the Burren. This traditional grazing practice
has been fundamental in shaping the rich natural
and cultural heritage of the area and our ability to
maintain what is one of Europe’s important seminatural
landscapes is dependent on its continuation.
Over the last 35 years, there have been significant
changes in the farming systems of the Burren as
farmers and their families have responded to world
markets, agricultural policies and the national economy.
The stark reality is that farming in marginal
areas like the Burren is neither economically viable
nor attractive in this day and age. This is having a
negative impact on the rural communities whose
children invariably move away to find better paid
employment elsewhere. Many older farmers have no
descendents willing to work alongside them and imbibe
the vast knowledge accrued over generations,
so with each death the Burren loses yet another slice
of the understanding required to manage this exceptional
area. The changes are also damaging the Burren’s
heritage: reduced grazing levels are leading to
an increase in rank vegetation and scrub 1 is spreading
on to the flower-rich grasslands to the detriment
of their prolific biodiversity as well as obscuring and
damaging archaeology. Increasing scrub is not only
reducing the available grazing land, it is also making
it harder to farm in what is already a difficult and
somewhat inhospitable terrain.
The BurrenLIFE Project was set up in 2004 to
develop practical management techniques that
would facilitate a return to more traditional grazing
regimes and form the basis of a more sustainable
approach to farming in the area. If this could
be achieved there would be positive benefits for the
environment, habitats, communities and economy
of the Burren.
1 Scrub is vegetation dominated by woody shrubs or bushes that
are less than 5 metres tall. Hazel (Corylus avellana) is the dominant
scrub species found in the Burren but other species include
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and Whitethorn (Crataegus monogyna)
location of the burren, ireland
2. location & topography
Ordinance Survey Ireland Licence No. EN 0059208
Copyright Ordinance Survey Ireland/Government of Ireland
The Burren is an area of low-lying (