Scientific Expertise pursuant to a Multi-Annual Raised Bog Monitoring Programme

Description

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species. In terms of environment and biological diversity, Ireland’s raised bogs are of importance not only nationally, but they are of European and indeed global significance. The current designated raised bog network consists of 53 raised bog SACs and 75 raised bog NHAs totalling an area of 17,995 ha. The legal basis on which SACs are selected and designated is the Habitats Directive while the Natural Heritage Areas are designated using national legislation (the Wildlife Acts). In order to assess the conservation status of Annex I raised bog habitats, in fulfilment of commitments to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive the NPWS has commissioned three previous bog monitoring surveys (Fernandez et al., 2005, Fernandez et al., 2012, Fernandez et al., 2014); the resulting reports and individual sites reports are available in the publications section of the NPWS website. These reports provide full details on survey methodologies and reporting formats that should be used as the basis for any submissions to this Request for Tenders. NPWS is hereby seeking tenders to assess the conservation status of the Annex I habitats and establish a National Ecosystems Monitoring Network (NEMN) to fulfil the ecosystem monitoring reporting obligations under the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (NECD) within a selection of raised bog sites. See RfT Document for full specification