Academic Staff:  

Dr Mike Gormally FRES

Director of the Applied Ecology Unit, Centre for Environmental Science, NUI, Galway 

Tel: 353 91 49 3334

Email: mike.gormallynuigalway.ie

The Applied Ecology Unit

The Applied Ecology Unit which I set up in 2000 at the Centre for Environmental Science, covers a wide range of ecological, socio-ecological and biological control research themes. It has strong research links with the Department of Botany (Plant ecologist - Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington) and the Environmental Change Institute at NUI, Galway.

Ecological Research

One of my main research areas deals with the scientific management of agriculture and forest ecosystems for nature conservation including habitats such as semi-natural deciduous woodlands, conifer plantations, turloughs, wet grasslands, machair, callows , riparian habitats and peatlands. I am particularly interested in how plant and invertebrate communities can be used as bioindicators of habitat quality and how these groups are affected by different management systems. I am also interested in developing comparative evaluation systems  for a range of habitats in the west of Ireland. To this end, various projects have examined the potential use of sciomyzids (marsh flies) and carabids (ground beetles) as bioindicators. In addition, I am particularly interested in sustainable stocking densities and the grazing behaviour of livestock on turloughs and blanket bogs using both direct animal observation and GPS collars.

Socio-ecological Research

While ecological studies of habitats are necessary for their protection, it is also important to place these habitats in context by interviewing landowners on current and past management practices. To this end, most of my ecological studies also involve the design and use of questionnaires to determine management practices and attitudes of landowners to environmental designations. The effect of these surveys is to promote dialogue and understanding between landowners and environmental scientists, an important aspect which is frequently missing from other ecological investigations. The Galway County Biodiversity Project Manager ( Ms Elaine O'Riordan) whose role is to develop awareness of environmental issues with community groups in Co. Galway, is also based in the Applied Ecology Unit. She works under the direction of Ms Marie Mannion (Heritage Officer, Galway County Council) and Dr Mike Gormally.

Biological Control Research

Another area of research in my laboratory is the use of invertebrates as biological control agents of agricultural pests and diseases. Considerable expertise has been developed in the Applied Ecology Unit in the use of sciomyzids (Diptera) as biological control agents of snail-borne trematode diseases and of horticultural slug species.

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