Vegetation ecology and conservation of potential turlough systems in the East Burren Complex SAC, Co. Clare.pdf

The southern Mullaghmore site is made up of seven features to the south of Mullaghmore, and scattered across the limestone grasslands and pavements between Lough Cuil Reasc and Travann Lough. The features were mapped and surveyed for vegetation community composition through quadrats representing a minimum 2% of the area of the feature. Vegetation communities were then assembled through non-metric scaling (NMS) ordination and indicator species analysis (ISA) to represent the vegetation of each individual feature and allow for identification of an inundation gradient where present. These communities and species of indicator or conservation interest were then related to previous turlough studies. The southern Mullaghmore site holds high levels of diversity in these small landforms, with several unique features showing turlough-like function, with distinctly diverse vegetation communities. Feature #1 in particular was shown to resemble a turlough and should be further studied and monitored for changes to its conservation status, in relation to its pressures.