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Research Staff:

Postgraduate researcher

Name: Caitriona Maher

Contact Details:

Email: caitrionamahergmail.com

Office Telephone: 00-353-(0)91-492719

Address: Applied Ecology Unit, Centre for Environmental Science, National University of Ireland - Galway, Galway, Ireland

Website: http://www.nuigalway.ie/applied_ecology_unit/

Profile:

I am a botany graduate with a general interest in landscape conservation, habitat ecology and biodiversity conservation. I am currently working on my PhD on the ecology of the Middle Shannon Callows (flood meadows).

Research Interests

Wetland conservation; especially Turloghs and floodplains.

Invertebrate conservation and the use of invertebrates as bioindicators. I’m particularly interested in marsh flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) and Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae).

Implications of habitat management and both the real and potential use of agriculture in conservation.

Effects of periodic flooding on plant and invertebrate communities.

Education

PhD (Ecology) – A comparative study of the Shannon Callows with reference to plant & sciomyzid (Diptera) communities.

BSc - Botany (Hons.), NUI Galway.

Professional Associations:

• Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI)
• British Ecological Society (BES)
• Royal Entymological Society (RES)
• Dipterists Forum

Current Activities:

Research

The main focus of my current research is to examine the effects of hydroperiod and management on plant and dipteran communities. My study area is the Middle Shannon Callows, i.e. the region of the River Shannon between Lough Ree and Lough Derg where most flooding occurs.

Snail-feeding marsh flies (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) which have been shown to be sensitive indicators of hydrological change and pollen/nectar feeding hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) which have been shown to be particularly sensitive to flowering plant species diversity.  This analysis is being carried out on different management practices and varying hydrological conditions with a view to providing management recommendations which will ensure that the biodiversity of the Shannon Callows will be protected for future generations.

Background to my study:

The Shannon Callows (the word callow originating from the Irish word ’caladh’ meaning river meadow) are the most extensive river meadows in Ireland.  The River Shannon is protected under EU legislation (Natura 2000). The Shannon River is designated as both a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area for Birds and two of its habitats, namely the Molinia meadows and the lowland hay meadows, are listed in Annex 1 of the EU Habitats Directive ( www.npws.ie/en/protectedsites/, 28/09/2009).  The Shannon Calllows are important both nationally and internationally for birds (including corncrake, lapwing, curlew, redshank, snipe, shoveler) (Nairn, Herbert and Heery, 1988). 

Winter flooding is the primary environmental variable driving this ecosystem. Flooding has also restricted agricultural intensification on the callows and this has resulted in much of their floristic diversity being maintained. The key environmental factor affecting biodiversity, aside from flooding, is the agricultural practices on the meadows. It is essential to establish what farming practices benefit plant and invertebrate biodiversity.

Teaching

Department of Botany, School of Natural Science, National University of Ireland.

2005-2008:        Supervising 1 ^st year Botany Laboratory practicals. Topics taught include:

-       Leaf morphology and function: incl. adaptations to environmental conditions

-       Transport in plants: root and shoot anatomy

-       Floral structure, function and pollination syndromes

-       Seed germination: storage compounds and mechanisms of germination

-       Algae: taxonomy and identification

-       Bryophytes and Pteridophytes: life cycles and reproductive structures

-       Plant pigments: chromatographic separation of anthocyanin pigments

-       Chromosomes and DNA: extracting fruit DNA; staining mitotic stages in root tips

-       Fungi: classification, structure and reproduction

2005-2009:        Demonstrating on laboratory and field courses to 2 ^nd and 3 ^rd year BSc Botany students, including modules on:

-       Identification of Bryophytes

-       Identification of higher plants

-       Floral structure and pollination syndromes

-       Turlough ecology: identification of grassland and woodland species (lab & field)

-       Phytosociology

-       Demonstrating to 2 ^nd year students on 3 day field courses in the Burren, Co. Clare.

Centre for Environmental Science, School of Natural Science, National University of Ireland.

2006-2009:        Field Demonstrator to 2 ^nd, 3 ^rd and 4 ^th year BSc Environmental Science students.

Modules include:

-       Habitat identification and classification (turloughs, woodlands, peatlands, grasslands)

-       Freshwater invertebrate sampling and identification

-       Woodland surveys using NVC Phase 2 identification

-       Small mammal trapping

-       Bryophyte, pteridophyte and higher plant identification in the field

-        Designing nature trails

Previous Research:

Project Title	Skealoghan Turlough, Co. Mayo: Effects of grazing on plant and sciomyzid species composition.
Institution	National University of Ireland, Galway.
Summary	Turloughs are seasonally flooded wetlands that form on karst limestone; they are found almost uniquely in the west of Ireland. Turloughs fill from ground water during the Winter (and during periods of prolonged heavy rain). When the flooding recedes in the drier months turlough basins reveal lush grasslands which have traditionally provided valuable grazing for livestock. The main focus of this study was to examine the effects long term exclusion of grazers had on the plant and sciomyzid (Sciomyzidae: Diptera) communities of two hydrologically distinct vegetation zones at Skealoghan Turlough, Co. Mayo.
Dates	2005/2006

Presentations:

IPSAM (Irish Plant Scientists Association Meeting), 2005: Oral Presentation, June 2005.

Environ, 2007: Poster Presentation, February 2007.

Postgraduate Ecology Forum, 2007: Poster Presentation, March 2007.

Environ, 2008: Oral Presentation, February 2008.

Postgraduate Ecology Forum, 2008: Oral Presentation, March 2008.

10 ^th International Syrphid Symposium, 2009: Poster presentation, June 2009.

INTECOL (10 ^th International Congress of Ecology), 2009: Oral Presentation, August 2009.

Conference proceedings:

Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally, Christopher Williams. 2006. “A study of the effects of grazing on plant species composition and on marsh flies (Sciomyzidae) in Skealoghan Turlough, Co. Mayo”. Irish Plant Scientists Association Meeting, Book of Abstracts 2006.

Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally. 2007. “A comparative study of the Shannon Callows with reference to plant and sciomyzid communities”. Postgraduate Ecology Forum, Book of Abstracts 2007.

Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally, 2008. “Plant & dipteran communities of the Shannon callows with reference to management and hydrology”. ENVIRON, Book of Abstracts 2008.
Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally, 2008. “A comparative study of the plant & dipteran communities of the Shannon callows with reference to management and hydrology.” Postgraduate Ecology Forum, Book of Abstracts 2008.

Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally, 2009. “A comparative study of the Syrphid and Sciomyzid communities of the Shannon Callow floodmeadows with reference to management and hydroperiod .” 10 ^th International Syrphid Symposium, Book of Abstracts 2009.

Caitriona Maher, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, Mike Gormally, 2009. “Plant and dipteran communities of the River Shannon (Ireland) hay meadows with reference to farming practices and hydroperiod.” INTECOL (10 ^th International Congress of Ecology), Book of Abstracts 2009.

Publications to date:

Williams, C.D., R.J. Mc Donnell, C. Maher, C. J. Mulkeen and M.J. Gormally. 2007. Faunistic data for the genus Tetanocera (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) in the west of Ireland. Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society, No. 31.

Staunton, J., C. D. Williams, R.J. Mc Donnell, C. Maher, L. Knutson and M.J. Gormally. 2008. PHERBELLIA (OXYTAENIA) STACKELBERGI ELBERG, 1965 (DIP.: SCIOMYZIDAE) NEW TO THE BRITISH ISLES, WITH COMMENTS ON GENERIC AND SUB-GENERIC PLACEMENT. Entomologists Record, VOL. 120.

Publications in prep:

Maher , C.A.; Williams, C.D.; Sheehy Skeffington, M. and Gormally, M.J. A study of how changes in land management practices affect plant and sciomyzid (Diptera) communities on Skealoghan Turlough, Co. Mayo.

Maher , C.A.; Knutson, L.; Williams, C.D. and Gormally, M.J. “Further confirmation of the presence, in Ireland, of Tetanocera punctifrons Rondani, 1968 (Diptera; Sciomyzidae)”.

 

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