Welcome to the Applied Ecology Unit Website!

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The Applied Ecology Unit undertakes research on a wide range of Irish ecosystems with particular emphasis on sustainable management practices with a view to protecting these ecosystems both now and in the future. To this end, unit members are or have been involved in biodiversity projects relating to agricultural ecosystems in both designated areas (eg. turloughs, flood meadows, machair, peatlands and woodlands) and in undesignated areas such as High Nature Farmland. The unit is multidisciplinary in nature in that ecological studies of plant and invertebrate communities are undertaken in conjunction with questionnaires to determine current and past land management practices (both agricultural and recreational). The Applied Ecology Unit also undertakes research relating to sustainable stocking densities and the grazing behaviour of livestock on turloughs and blanket bogs using both direct animal observation and GPS collars.

Human impacts on habitats are also investigated (frequently using invertebrate and plant bioindicators) to quantify the effects over/undergrazing in upland areas, the infilling of wetlands with C & D waste or to determine best practice in wetland creation. Focal taxa include families of beetle (Coleoptera), fly (Diptera) freshwater and terrestrial Mollusca, phytoplankton, higher and lower plants. Other projects include detailed studies of rare invertebrate species (eg the Kerry slug ( Geomalacus maculosus) and the ground beetle Carabus clatratus) as well as using biological control agents to control pest species.

In addition to detailed ecological studies, the Applied Ecology Unit is also committed to examining the bigger picture particularly with reference to the impact of climate change on a range of Irish ecosystems as well as examining the value to nature conservation of current EU agri-environmental schemes and the provision of ecosystem services.

Finally, through Elaine O’Riordan (County Galway Biodiversity Projects Officer) who is based in the Applied Ecology Unit, all projects feed into the Galway County Council database and human interaction with biodiversity (education, community outreach and restoration ecology) form an integral  part of the unit’s activities. The unit works closely with the Department of Botany and has strong research links with the Departments of Economics, Earth & Ocean Sciences at NUI, Galway. Inter-institutional research links include: NUI, Maynooth, Teagasc (The Irish Agriculture & Food Development Authority), University of California, Riverside and Université d’Orleans, France