Rewilding Wicklows Uplands

Re-wilding Wicklows Uplands

Executive summary

Statement -

To develop a landscape rewilding strategy in the wicklow uplands that aims to restore degraded habitats, fight against the biodiversity and climate emergency and restore our natural heritage.

Site/Problem Summary

The area in which I have chosen to investigate and test for my design thesis is located in the heart of the Wick low upland region, which is the largest upland region in the county, stretching from the south of Dublin to Carlow. The site comprises of two neighboring glacial valleys at the source of the Avoca river watershed, Glenmcnass and Glendesan that meet each other Laragh. The site lies most ly in the Wicklow mountains national park (the largest in the county), which is also Ireland’s largest SPA under the bird’s directive and SAC under the habitats directive. The region is rich in habitat diversity, ranging from blanket bogs that coat the hills to rocky cliff faces and even some long-established woodlands further down stream. The large open and expansive landscapes are hugely popular recreation areas for hill walkers and nature lovers from Dublin and beyond with stkevins and the Wicklow way be ing two popular tails that run through the site. As well as its natural wealth, the region is renowned for its cultural heritage with Glendalough, the glens of lead mining sites, the famous military road and is one Ireland’s biggest tour ist destinations. However, despite these being habitats of international im portance they are in dire straits and are deteriorating at an alarming rate. These sensitive montane habitats have had a been subjected to a history of damaging land use activ ities such as deforestation, the draining of peatlands for cutting turf and afforestation, burning, grazing pressure from sheep and a deer population that is over 10 times a sustainable average. As a result, our blanket bogs are slid ing off the hills eroding at a rate of up to 1 tonne per hect are per year, in-turn polluting our water and clogging our rivers and releasing vast quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This history of ‘de-wilding’ has brought us to where we are today, in the midst of a climate and biodiversity emergency. As well as climate and biodiversity implications, the ability of this landscape to retain water has been lost causing serious problems for the catchment in lower areas, such as flooding, drought and siltation. The Avoca river was named Ireland’s most degraded river due to its levels of acid and silt, mining and exotic coniferous afforestation on peatlands are to blame.

My design thesis deals with the new radial concept of nature conservation known as rewilding. Nature conser vation has traditionally aimed at conserving the current state of natural environment or aims to restore it to the state in which it was received, as each generation hands down a more degraded natural environment the baseline for what needs to be met is lowered. Whereas Rewilding seeks to correct the environment to the stage where natu ral processes can take hold and begin to drive functioning and dynamic natural systems. Rewilding is biased on the fact that nature is the ultimate restorator and designer and that natural processes will always prevail. However, it is the role of man to kick start some of these natural processes.

Flooding, natural grazing, scavenging and predation are all essential natural processes that have been stripped from Irish landscapes. These natural processes make a functional ecology and functioning landscapes that are dynamic and forever changing.

Natura 2000 sites (SPAs & SACs) are the largest network of protected lands in the world and is the backbone of EU conservation, and as a member state Ireland is legally bound to protect and manage its Natura 2000 sites. As outlined in article 6 of the habitats directive, section 1 states that member states must establish management plans for its protected habitats and species, section 2 states member states must prevent any further deteriora tion of Its protected habitats (Sundseth 2014). However, this has not been the case in the Wicklow hills. The Eu has recently released its biodiversity strategy for 2030 which unlocks 20 billion per year to be spent on bio diversity and aims to protect 30% of land and sea.

My concept stands on the above EU policy and law and I propose to that landscape use/management is driver by habitat restoration from 2021 onwards and recognizes the following.

- In the NPWS 2019 report on the Status of EU protected habitats all habitats in Wicklow uplands scored in the bad condition category.

- The cost of future landscape management and failure of to protect habitats will be huge and Ireland will end up in the EU court for their failure to act.

- Ireland’s Climate Change Plan and Biodiversity Action Plans have been exposed as unfit for purpose by the EU and is being rewritten.

-Wicklow County was the leading group in the declaration of a Biodiversity and Climate Emergency.

Solution/Approach Summary

To solve the problems outlined above I have designed na ture biased solutions that address three main landscape components, restoring blogland, rivers and promoting natural woodland regeneration. I have developed a largescale strategy that shows how the overall project will be phased and develop in time. Acknowledging that humans cannot manage the landscape on their own I propose to reintroduce some of our lost fauna as landscape engi neers…..

Beginning with my strategy, I have proposed to create Green infrastructure links that link areas of high ecolog ical value (eg. Long established woodland) in the region via riparian corridors. These links will create wildlife high ways that promote dispersal and genetic diversity as well as establishing riparian buffers and habitats.

I then propose that Coilte phase out conifer mono culture forestry and phase in continuous cover forestry, where-by a mixture of selected species are planted and selectively removed. To promote natural woodland regeneration in the uplands (up to the treeline @500 M) seed sources will be planted from indigenous seed to facilitate seed dis persal. Alongside this, sheep will be removed from com monage and deer will be heavily culled, while wild Boar and Elk will be introduced to promote ground flora diversi ty and the Eurasians lynx will be introduced to incorporate the ecology of fear into and manage the deer population.

The restoration of peatlands comprises of re-wetting drained bogs to restore the water table and removal of afforestation and invasive species in a sensitive manner. Peat Hag damming and contour bunding will focus on restoring bog areas that have suffered from accelerated weathering due to grazing pressures in order to prevent runoff and promote peat accumulation.

Looking to our waterways the establishment of riparian buffers, the creation of instream habitats and the im provement of river morphology are the methods of resto ration I have focused on.

Providing safe access into these areas so that people can enjoy and learn from our natural heritage was the fourth are I focused on.

Landscape

The definition of a rainforest is an area of forested land that has enough rainfall throughout the year to support epiphytes. Epiphytes are plant organisms that grow and live on other plans and draw their water nutrients from the air around them such as mosses and lichens. For thousands of years the majority of Irelands natural environment consisted of temperate rainforest. These rainforests primarily consisted of oak woodlands in the lowland and valley areas while the more marginal upland areas would have consisted of pine and birch forests.

This environment was deeply ingrained in the history of our culture and economy as it was where people drew resources and spirituality from. Tales of the wood are intertwined with Irish folklore and place names. I am from Hollywood, once holywood where St. Keven began his pilgrimage to Glendalough. Here he was met with an oak wood so thick and powerful that it was impassable, when he prayed to god the wood opened and paved a path that brought him to Glendalough where he started his monastery. He blessed the wood and swore that any man who cut it would be cursed.

Up until early Christian times our Brehon law system that survived in partially up until the 17th century had laws based around protecting the flora and fauna of our forests even protecting butterflys. Today the relationship between Irish society and natural areas is completely frag mented. After a long history of de-wilding Now Irelands natural environment is among one of the lowest in Europe. This is reflected by the state’s current policies on important areas of our ecosystem such as forestry and farming which are damaging and intensive and pay little respect to wild areas.

Irelands biggest national park and so called ‘wild area’ is located in the Wicklow mountains and is comprised mainly of barren mountains that are a grazing area for sheep and deer. This ‘wet desert’ has the potential to provide much needed habitats for Irelands indigenous birds, mammals, fish and insects that are at risk of extinction. The national park farming and coiltes forested land take up the majority of the Wicklow upland region.

Figure 2 - Deciduous wood - Seán Phelan

What is rewilding

Rewilding as a concept can mean various things to different people. For some people, it can be sectioning off a corner of their land to be left back into the hands of nature, for others it can mean the absence of human activity in large areas of land and the reintroduction of extinct fauna. The word its self is relativity new, it only came into the dictionary in 2011. While there is no single set definition for the action, the main goal is to harness the power of nature to allow it to heal itself. George Monbiot, a journalist and environmental activist describes the notion of rewilding as being a way of thinking and that rewilding the person is just as important as rewilding the land. By rewilding the person, a change in attitude is needed toward how we view our landscapes at all scales. He shows us that by bringing na ture back into our lives and landscape it offers a much more exiting way of living. (George M 2014).

A change in mindset about how we view nature as being a thing that has to be controlled is a dangerous way of thinking. I feel this is mindset is one that dominates the majority of people in this country. The argument against the reintroduction of certain extinct species such as large herbivores or perhaps boar or wolves comes down to the fact that these ani mals cannot be controlled and therefore pose a threat. The need for the of control of natural settings is why we are on the brink of an ecological disaster. To me, for this project, I see it as the restoration of a damaged ecosystem to the point that it can begin to rehabilitate itself.

There are a number of core principles to the concept.

At a scientific level, there are three main focus areas that give theoretical framework for rewilding and how it can be applied.

1) Trophic complexity – the connection/relationship between species at different scales and the balance of this.

2) Natural variable disturbances being allowed to take place instead of constant anthropo genic disturbances. These natural disturbances allow ecosystems to reorganise and recover. 3) Dispersal of flora and fauna to promote genetic diversity and prevent overcrowding/ in terbreeding. These three processes influence and promote one another. (Andrea P 2019)

Other key features of rewilding include

• working from healthy and strong natural areas.

• paying attention to keystone species on which other species depend.

• Re-establishing natural succession.

• Mimicking nature in any interventions. (Alan Watson Featherstone. 2021).

state

our

environment

There is no question that our natural environments are in a bad condition in the country and the way things are going it does not look very optimistic. Emissions are continuing to rise, hab itat destruction is massively threaten ing our biodiversity and our waterways are on the decline. The latest ‘state of nature report in 2019 showed that only 15 percent of the countries natu ral habitats were in a favourable con servation status. This means that they were stable or increasing state, this status is key to the survival of the hab itat. The other 85 percent of habitats that had been assessed had been seen to be in unfavourable conditions, 46 percent of which were declining. Bog, Heath, grassland and woodland hab itats did not have any habitat types in favourable condition. Meadow and grassland, orchid rich habitats saw a 30 percent decline in the last 10 to 15 years (European Environment Agency. 2020). Green infrastructure

Figure 3 - European habitat conditions European Environment Agency

Wicklow county council were the first to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. In doing this they have developed a green infrastructure plan that aimed to provide support for wildlife and sensitive habitats, however the plan does not show a networking strategy that focuses on linking areas of ecological importance. It also does not differentiate between green areas of ecological significance such as Coilte’s conifer plantations and long estab lished woodlands.

In my rewilding design I hope to create links between east and Wicklow that will promote migration of wildlife and increase genetic diversity of species. I hope to develop wildlife cor ridors that link land established woodland habitats and extend them through some of the u-shaped valleys in the region.

A healthy green infrastructure ecosystem has benefits in a variety of areas such as: -Health and recreation through promoting permeability through the landscape that can be used for exercising in. -Water management through increasing quality, flood mitigation and providing water side habitats.

-Increasing biodiversity through ecological networks as well as improving air and soil quality. -Provides strong sense of place and appreciation for landscape., while also enhancing land based industry. This in-turn benefits economically and socially. ( Wicklow 2016 - 2020)

Wicklows Upland habitats and wildlife

The upland mountainous areas have a mosaic of habitats that extend down into the valley floors. Some of these habitats are very Unique such as the blanket bog. Wicklow’s mountainous blanket bog is of international impor tance and are special protected conser vation areas. Blanket bogs are acidic waterlogged areas that are formed from the build-up of organic material over long periods of time. These peaty soils that lack oxygen are harsh conditions that support rare plant species that adapted to them such as sphagnum moss, lichens, heathers, bog cotton and even carnivores plants such as butter wort and sundew. (Wicklow Mountains National Park. 2016).

The integrity of these bogs has been compromised over the years such as controversial ac tivity’s such as forestry, turf cutting sheep grazing and erosion due to these and other recre ational human activities. Ireland has 8% of the worlds blanket blogland and it essential that we preserve them due to their ability to sequester carbon.

Figure 4 - Areas of long established woodland and woodland habitats that i hope to connect via green infrastruc ture - Biodiversity maps Ireland

Figure 5 - Bog pool on lugnaquilla - Sean Phelan

Other habitats that exist in the hills include grassland and heathland that extend across vast areas of the up lands and similarly have been sub jected to degrading activity’s over the years particularly burning. A grassland that has over 25% of heather or other small shrubs makes it a heathland, and to distinguish a heathland from bog it must have soil shallower than half a meter. (Wicklow uplands council . 2020). The renowned Irish hair and many of our ground nesting birds such as the endangered Red grouse depend upon theses habitats.

Rocky and scree filled landscapes can be found on the steeper slopes. These areas cannot be grazed by sheep or deer thus providing a habitat for some of the more vulnerable flora including some Saxifrages and Alpine Lady's Mantle as well as ideal hunting grounds for birds of prey such as Peregrine falcons and buzzards. The Irish goat may be found on some of the wide-open steep sloped of the national park. (Wicklow Mountains National Park. 2016).

In the lower regions and the valley floors

Deciduous woodlands can be found as well as coniferous woods in the poorer re gions. These woodlands have once domi nated by ancient sessile oak trees played a strong role in the history of the region and today there are few areas remaining. However, the areas that are remaining are only semi natural as they were re planted in the 1800s after the lands had been completely stripped of their woods. I hope to create links from these areas to the areas I will be rewilding to access their rich and diverse ecological bank. Looking the ecology of these habitats ranging from a mycological scale right up to mammals and birds these habitats are the most rich and diverse habitats that exist. Many of our endangered bird and mammal species completely depend on these habitats such as Badgers, Red squirrels, Cuckoos, Sparrow hawks and the returning Woodpecker. (Wicklow Mountains National Park. 2016).

Figure 6 - Wicklow Heath land - Irish central

Figure

- Mystical woodland west wicklow - Seán Phelan

The landscapes in the region are renowned for their beautiful rivers and lakes that were formed by glacial processes. The hydrology is dynamic with the large amounts of rain that falls. Fast flowing mountain streams and roaring rivers flow into peaceful and calm lakes dotted throughout the glacial valleys. These provide ideal habitats for fish particularly trout whom need sandy riverbeds and mammal’s such as otters. Amphibians and reptiles such as the smooth newt and the natter jack toad avail of the wetland edges of these waterways. Birds such as king fishers and Goosanders can be found In and around the lakes in the re gion.

Rivers throughout the Leinster batholith are naturally acidic due to the high amounts of granite. However, the rivers that flow down form the uplands are in bad conditions due to commercial forestry and mining. The Avoca river was deemed the most degraded river in Ireland due to its high acid levels from the old Avoca copper mines and from the vast ar eas of Sitka spruce that are planted in its wa ter shed. New legislation has been brought into place about planting spruce on river banks as they produce so much acid that the waters can be impassable by fish. (Wicklow Mountains National Park. 2016).

Figure 8 - River habitat - kings river - Seán Phelan

Figure 9 - Riparian wood habitat - kings river - Seán Phelan

Farming in the region

Wicklow uplands has a strong farming culture and history, livestock Farming of cattle and beef is one of the main land uses in the area. Any project that will have an impact on the livelihoods of local peoples should involve them from the initial stage. Farmers play a key part in the story of rewilding in any region, they are the ones who know the land the best and what it is capable of. In a lot of cases they will have a great knowledge of the local ecol ogy. However, some farming practices are outdated and destructive.

The burning of agricultural land to promote grass regrowth and to get rid of gorse and other shrubs is one extremely damaging practice to climate and to biodiversity. Last summer 16 km squared (4000 acers) of west Wicklow heathland lying on blanket bod in the upland was burnt which was a special area of conservation. (Ronan Mc Greevey. 2020) From a wildlife point of view everything in this area is wiped clear, bird species such as curlews have vanished from the area from the year after ear burnings. This is an extremely damaging practice that must be stopped. I believe that basic farm pay ments should be withdrawn from land that has been burnt.

Farming in these marginal uplands is seen to be quite un productive, sheep farming in par ticular. Sheep farming as an industry has been without a doubt the most destructive to our natural environment and least productive. Sheep farmers in these marginal regions do not make little income off of their sheep and rely on purely on farm support payments from the CAP

Farmers in the region could be enticed and actively be involved in rewilding. Landscape architects play a key role in the encouragement by illustrating the po tential outcomes of the process.

A great example of farmer’s rewilding their low output land can be seen at a 3500-acre es tate, knepp in Sussex southern England. Knepp estate first came about in the 12th century, it has been in the Burrell family since the 18th century and has had a history of intensive agri culture. When Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree inherited the estate, the land was exhausted and they were losing money due to low yields. This factor coupled with reports of how dam aged the land and ecosystem had been due to intensive farming caused Charlie to decide to

Figure 10 - Burnt heathland regenerating - Seán Phelan

Figure 11 - Sheep grazing - Seán Phelan

They undrained their fields, restored rivers to their natural shape, removed paddock fences and left the land fallow for years. They also introduced animals such as Tamworth pigs, fal low deer, red deer, longhorn cattle and Exmoor ponies. These animals sparked natural pro cesses through seed dispersal and disturbing ground that began to develop new habitats. It wasn’t long before biodiversity began to skyrocket and Knepp saw rare birds, mammals, plants and insects returning such as turtle doves, peregrine falcons, dung beetles, emperor butterflies, bats and purple orchids. High levels of microbial activities in the soil in turn of this diversity saw the soil replenishing itself in just a couple of years. Isabella tree (2018).

Forestry

The Wicklow uplands are the most forested part of the country and the forestry industry is the biggest land use in the area. However, these forests for the most part are timber farms that are not compatible with our ecosystem. The current forestry practices have recently been proved to do more damage than good.

Huge damage is being caused exotic coni fer plantations to precious habitats in the region. The harmful draining of bogs to make them suitable for planting which de stroys habitat and stops carbon and other greenhouse gasses being sequestered, this also causes massive soil erosion. Ireland has the lowest tree cover in the EU and the highest number of non-native species, mainly Sitka spruce. Irish govern ment plan to get Ireland to 18% tree cover by 2040, unfortunately planting 70% Sitka spruce for timber production, which inev itably counteracts carbon sequestration and undermines biodiversity. Coilte are Irelands biggest land owner owning vast areas of the peat lands and high lands which are full of valuable habitats where they continue to plant. (NIALL SARGENT 2020).

A recent report by the department shows that the managed sector of Irelands forestry in dustry has become a net emitter of greenhouse gasses ( Department of agriculture 2020). As trees absorb and sequester carbon they store 85 percent of their carbon and gasses beneath ground. The clear-felling processes disturbs the ground so much that more carbon ends up getting released. Experts advise government to change policy to continuous cover and Agri-forestry. Forestry owners will be penalised by carbon taxes as before they were payed for offsets. (Kevin O'Sullivan and Sean McCarthaigh. 2020).

Figure 12 - Forst felling - West wicklow - Seán Phelan

Grazing issues

One major issue and threat to Wicklow habitats and farms are the rapidly increasing popu lation of deer. There are three non native deer species that roam the hills in large herds. The sika deer which was introduced in 1860 to Powerscourt and fallow deer which were brought to Wicklow by Normans in the 12th century. Muntjac deer, first sighted in 2006, very secre tive animals, are beginning to rise in numbers and are seen as a serious threat.

The threat that these deer pose is the trampling grazing of sensitive flora, grazing of young saplings and stripping of bark. Due to the demand for food that the high numbers have caused they will just about eat anything I have personally seen deer eat holly leaves in my garden. Deer also carry bovine TB which has huge implications for cattle farmers in the region. I myself know two farmers who lost cattle last summer to the disease, one lost a full heard of 24. There has been calls for a 50,000-deer cull to be made in Wicklow alone next year by Various farming associations. Of the 37,241-deer culled in Ireland in 2018, 13,267 came from Wicklow. (Eoghan McConnell. 2018). It was estimated in 2009 at in order to achieve a sustainable herd size a cull of 150,000 would be needed nationwide (Paddy P 2009).

Figure 13 - the effect of planting and felling on bog - Seán Phelan

Figure 14 - Sika stagsCeltic feild sports

Rewilding against the climate crisis

The climate crisis that we are already facing is set to be the defining challenge of the time. The Irish governments plan to have reduced greenhouse gasses 7% by 2030 and hope to have reached a net zero economy by 2050. While they have set out ambitious targets that are not being met, these targets still may not be enough to slow the rate of change. Only one percent of the worlds budget in tackling climate change had been set aside to the restoration of damaged natural environments. (Fiona Harvey 2020). New studies show that rewilding damaged ecosystems is the most cost effective way of sequestering carbon. 60 percent of the worlds predicted extinctions could be prevented and one third of the carbon released since the industrial revolution could be stored if man were to restore the 15 per cent of priority converted lands (Strassburg 2020)

There are government schemes that incentivise people to plant trees. Grants of up 16,420 euro per hectare can be earned over a 15-year basis tax free. The green party have made plants to increase these grants. Why not incentivise rewilding for its ability to sequester carbon.

Nature based economics

Nature biased economics are the economic benefits and opportunities can arise from the regeneration of natural landscapes. Nature baised economics will play an important role in my rewilding project. The purpose of my project is to rewild against climate change and create wildlife habitats and economics do not really come into play. However, to market this project and perhaps to help persuade landowners, nature biased economics can be seen as the missing link. By generating business opportunities, income and jobs in rural areas it may also help fund and facilitate a rewilding project. Activities, trails, camping, education, nature safaris and other nature related tourism are booming and have become the key to many other rewilding projects across the world. Reintroduced species can draw massive interest and attention in particular.

Figure 19 - St kevins way marker - National park

My rewilding approach

Myco-restoration

Without fungi, there would be no forests, and no humans. Fungi are the most important component in the whole ecology, animals live off of plants and plants survive off of the sup port that they get from fungi, Mycorrhizal fungi to be precise.

Similar to humans, habitats have immune systems that can become damaged when put under stress, become ill or exhausted. Myco-restoration is the use of fungi in restoring de graded habitats through the use of Mycorrhizal, endophytic, saprophytic and parasitic fungi. (Michael Phillips 2017).

When restoring any ecosystem, a good place to start is in the soil. The ability for any plant to thrive is a soil will depend upon the mycological activity in the soil. As mycelium flows through soil it increases its fertility and stability as it brings moisture, depth and expands the carrying capacity acting as natures internet, and transportation system.

The act of using fungi to enhance and sustain forest communities is known as mycoforestry. This is particularly relevant to the areas that have been commercially forested by Coilte. After the clear-felling of coniferous plantations, the soil is ex hausted and its structure is badly dam aged. Key stone saprophytic mushroom species can be introduced to help speed up the process of recycling woodland debris. This biomass is decomposed back into the food web for a wide range of creatures such as bacteria, insects, plants and other fungi. Inoculating machine oil with aggressive saprophytic fungi such as turkey tails on chainsaws and wood chip ping and other forestry machinery is one method of introducing these fungi. (Paul stamens 2005).

Figure 20 - Turkkey tail fungi ‘Trametes versicolor’agressive saprophytic fungi that can prevent paracitic fungi domonating - Seán Phelan

Figure 21 - Saprophytic fungi Hypholoma fasciculare commonly known as sulpher tuft - Loves dead conifers, perfect for spruce. - Seán Phelan

Replanted trees can be enhanced by dipping their roots in a solution that has been inoculat ed by Mycorrhizal fungi. Forestry roads and drains are massive sources of soil erosion that Carrie pollution and silt into downstream. By covering these in a layer of wood chippings and straw then introducing a selected variety of native saprophytic and Mycorrhizal fungi a fungal network quickly forms and filters the silt and pollutants. This is known as myco-fil tration (Paul stamens 2005).

Natural processes - Functional landscapes

Flooding, natural grazing, scavenging and predation are all essential natural processes that have been stripped from the Wicklow uplands. These natural processes make a functional ecology and functioning landscapes that are dynamic and forever changing.

Rewilding is biased on the factor that nature is the ultimate restorator and designer and that natural processes will always prevail. However, it is the role of man to kick start some of these natural processes that have been lost. Any intervention that seeks to kick-start these processes much mimic nature in doing so (Alan 2021).

The intervention of tree planting can kick start the regeneration of forest ecosystems in areas that might lack a seed source. Once these areas begin to develop food and habitat is provided for invertebrates which in-turn attracts birds whom bring with them process of seed dispersal and germination as birds feed and deposit seeds.

Key stone species

Perhaps the most exciting part of rewilding is the reintroduction of species that have been driven out of our landscapes. Certain animals are known as key stone species meaning that their presents enable or facilitates a broad range of other species. These include beavers, wolves and large herbivores. Rewilding projects in the Uk and other parts of Europe have seen the reintroduction of beavers. While they are not native to Ireland I would argue that they would bring positive changes to our rivers. There dams create wetland habitats that provide a home for a diverse range of insects and invertebrates whom are on the decline but are an essential part of the eco system. (Alan Watson Featherstone. 2017).

Native is a funny term as many of our so-called native mammals were brought here by our hunt er gatherer ancestors. I believe that it would be worthwhile experiment ing by introducing bea vers into a river system in Wicklow’s uplands.

Figure 22 Beaver the landscape engeneer - Rewilding europe

The way things are in Wicklow the reintroduction of wolves might not be possible. A wolf pack needs an extensive area of wild land and corridors to roam and hunt. While wolves survive in mountainous regions they equally need the valley floors for protection and hunt ing. The Wicklow mountains national park is to fragmented and even has farmland enclosed within some parts of it. The valley floors are not owned by national park and have a lot of farming activity which would pose problems as livestock would become pray. If the national park was more connected it might be possible but the wolf pack would have to be artificially managed to keep the population from extending beyond the park.

Natural grazing and the role of herbivores

Browsing and grazing herbivores play key roles in wild landscapes. They bring with them natural processes of seed, bacteria and fungi dispersal and also ground disturbing allowing diversity in fauna species. Theses mammals also determine which plants grow and where, which we have seen in Wicklow due to the numbers of sika deer. That is why the right mix and numbers are present, that is where predators play a part. They influence where and how these animals graze. Wild boar and elk are two of Irelands missing herbivores that could have strong impacts on our landscapes if introduced.

Brockagh

Wicklow Mountains National Park

National Context

River Avoca and Liffie water shed

Mountain Uplands - Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Wicklow character assessmentRegional HydrologyContext and National Park

Upland areas 180m+

Wicklow uplands coun cil . (2020)

Glendasan

River bank erosion Glenmcnass

Bog drain at the old military road

Peat hag on Tonelagee

Peat hagging on Mullaghcleevaun

Sitka spruce plan tation in Glendasan, dominating visuall and ecological land scape

Burnt Heathland in Glenmcnass

The

and

My concept acknowledges the EU law surrounding the Natura 200 sites in particular the habitats directive. Article 6,1 states that member states are to have management & conservation plans in place for their SACs, while this is the case in Wicklow the plans are outdated and fail to ad dress article 6,2 which states that EU member states are to take the appropriate steps to prevent SAC habitats from deteriorating. I propose that the updated management plan for the area is driven by rewilding and habitat resto ration to avoid future fines and costs of restoration. A bog slide in Derrybrien in 2008 cost the government 8million for failure to comply with the directive. All of the habitats in the Wicklow SAC scored bad in the NPWS 2019 report on the current status of SACs (NPWS 2019). My proposal will work In accordance with article 6 of the habitats directive and to comply with the EU 2030 biodiversity strategy.

SPA SAC

Kerstin Sundseth, Petr Roth (2014)

The population of deer is completely out of control in Wicklow with a stocking rate in the 30s per km2 where a sustainable rate is 3- 4 p/km2. Here there is a Herd of 70 grazing in glendasan, these deer cause sersious problems in our bogs as they strip the vegetaion which causes the peat to be susceptible to weathering. As well as this they are preventing any natural vegetive regeneration

Large Herd of Sika Deer grazing on Tonelagee

Humans cannot manage the landscape alone, so I propose that three species be brought in to help

• The wild boar – to promote ground floor diversity through soil disturbance

• The Eurasian Lynx – to incorporate the ecology of fear into and manage the deer popu lation, effecting where and how they graze.

• The Eurasian Elk - of seed, bacteria and fungi dispersal and also ground disturance allowing diversity in fauna species

These keystone species are ecosystem engineers whose presence facilitates a large num ber of other species. This is known as a trophic cascade.

After

wood

Blanket Bog

Current Drained Bog

Areas of extensive Ero sion

Here we can see areas of heavily eroding blanked bog and also areas that have been drained for Turff cutting and afforestation.

The first phase will be es tablishing a riparian buf fer that connects the long established woodlands through out the region acting as a wildlife high way to promote genetic diversity in species.

The first phase will also see restoration activities on the eroding boglands.

Phase 2 3-5 years

Long Established wood Coniferous Wood

Blanket PeatBog

Riparian Wood link Clearfell

Sensitive Removal

During this phase, felling will be used on the older stands of coni fers as they will not be suited to continuous cover forestry.

Sensitive Removal of conifers will take place on delicate hab itats such as bog and river cor ridors. For example Riparian coniferous wood will have to be removed over a three year peri od to prevent scorching of the invertebrate communities in the water.

Phase 3 5-6

Riparian Wood link

Long Established wood

Coniferous Wood

Blanket PeatBog

Planted -Seed Source

Phase 3 will see the im plementation of our seed banks that will initiate the natural regeneration process.

Phase 4 year 15

Long Established wood

Coniferous Wood

Blanket PeatBog

Riparian Wood link Natural Regeneration

Phase four we can see the continuous cover forest ry process taking a grip along with natural wood land regeneration.

year 80

wood

Our final phase will be a young established wood that runs up the hills up the tree line at about 500m as well as all removal of conifers from peat bogland.

Proposed

It is important that people can access these areas in a safe manor both for the people and the habitats. Recreational pressures from walkers / bikers creating desire lines through sensitive areas causes huge problems especially on blogland.

St. Kevin’s way & Wicklow way

Proposed New trails

Bog Restoration

Wicklow’s blanket bog began to form 4000 years ago when the Irish climate became wetter in the upland regions causing the creation of a hard pan close to the surface of the soil. As organic matter began to build to and the soil became waterlogged sphagnum mosses took over forming a thick layer of peat that cover the hilltops.

In the past, these peat lands were subject to domestic turf harvesting and in recent years have been drained to facilitate the growth of exotic conifer plantations by Coilte in partic ular Sitka spruce. These activities turn these super habitats and carbon sinks into massive carbon emitters and water polluters. As well as this, accelerated weathering due to grazing pressures from deer and sheep, and burning of heath lands has caused extensive erosion known as peat hags.

To combat these issues, the process of rewetting aims to restore the water table in the bog lands. Using various techniques of damming and contour bunding water is retained within the peat and these anaerobic conditions promote the accumulation of peat.

Extensive peat hags on Mullaghcleevaun. Ero sion rates in Wicklow are believed to be up to 1,000kg/Ha/Year. This siltation causes huge implications for water quality both for humans as it has to purified and for fish and it clogges instream habbitats.

Peat hag formation Grazing Burning weathering

Degredation Restoration

Google Earth

Hag damming to catch sediment runoff and retain water.

Contour Bunding

Peat Erosion on Tonelagee

Before and after of hag damming on Mullaghcleevaun

Restoring the water table

Reinforced peat dam

Other restoration techniques:

-Daming man made drains -Peat transplant of Acrotem layer of peat -Stabalisation and revegitation of eroding gully edge and blocking channels with stone or peat dams -Heather brash spreasing -Sphagnum harvesting from healthy sites and inoculation -Geojute dams/matts

Peat drain on old military road

Trees are perfectly capable of planting themselves and have a remarkable ability to gow in tough conditions once given the chance, which in Wicklow means reducing the amount of grazers in the uplands. Not only it is much cheaper to let trees plant themselves but it also more efficient in establishing a woodland ecosystem as diversi ty in the distribution of age and species is essential. Large her bivores play an essential role in

an essential role in facilitating the establishment of natural woodland generation as they disturb soil and spread seed, the Eurasian elk the largest of any deer species weigh up to 700 kg and would be perfectly suited to the Wicklow hills.

As there is not a native tree over 250m in my site there is a lack of seed source to facilitate this natural generation, as outlined in my strategy I have planted (from indigenous local seed) areas fenced off to establish seed sources throughout the hills.

Fig 23Alan Watson Featherstone 2021

Scotsspine, Downy Birch and Rowan will be the main tree species that will colonise the up land areas I had outlined in my strategy as they had done before the hills were stripped of their montane woodland systems.

Betula pubescens or downy Birch Is known as a pioneer species due to its ability to grow in challenging conditions, the birch that grow in peaty and waterlogged soils grow slowly and take an interesting bonsai like form as they become stunted and twisted.

Pinus Sylvestris or scots pine are renowned for their ability to grow in acidic soils and on steep hillsides. They are hugely important in montane ecosystems as they provide preferred habitat for Nesting birds and woodland mammals such as squirrels and pine martins.

Fig 24 Alan Watson Featherstone 2021 Montane birch

Fig 25 Alan Watson Featherstone 2021 Granny Scotspine

My first detailed area located in Glendasan down from the Wicklow gap looks at installing a new part of st.kevins way through our new woodland. St kevins way is a popu lar pilgrimage that follows the foot steps of sk.kevin from Hollywood to Glendalough. The proposal aims to bring walkers off of the dangerous road and instead trough the newly developed woodland. The detailed area shows a piece of raised board walk that that passes over the Gendasan river. The plan shows the density of riparian planting trees and the species I propose to use which are alder willow.

Restoring our Rivers

The third area I focused on is our badly degrade rivers. I hope to create riparian buffer zones and in stream habitats which in turn will stop erosion, slow the waters and allow areas to flood. This water retention will reduce flood ing in downstream areas such as arklow.

- Riparian Buffer zones - Slowing water - flood provision - Reinstating Flood areas - In stream Habitat creaion

Riparian Planting

- 3300 per Ha (2 m x 1.5 m)

- Softwood zone - Salix cinerea, S. purpurea, S. triandra - alnus glutinosa.

- Hardood flood zone - Betula pendula - Pinus sylvestris.

Instinctively people have been removing deadwood and fallen trees from rivers for centuries, however woody debris play an essential role in habitat creation and water regulation in river systems. Wood can be strategically be placed into rivers to simulate these natural systems, messy rivers are healthy rivers.

This is an area of the Glenmcnass river that I proposed to reintroduce a meander to and various backwaters. The aim of this was to improve the morphology of the river in the hope to reconnect the river with the floodplain, this in turn would increase water retention, pre vent floods downstream in Arklow and create instream habitats. A proposed new walkway will pass through this part of the river.

Before After

I thoroughly enjoyed this project and feel I have learned an enormous amount, particu larly in how natural systems and functioning ecologies within the landscape work and how humans have a massive influence on them.

One area in which I would like to investigate more is in relation to bringing the project to life by communicating with and involv ing stakeholders with in the region of the project. Looking at Nature biased economics to market this project and perhaps to help persuade landowners, nature biased eco nomics can be seen as the missing link. By generating business opportunities, income and jobs in rural areas it may also help fund and facilitate a rewilding project. Activities, trails, camping, education, nature safaris and other nature related tourism are boom ing and have become the key to many other rewilding projects across the world.

I feel landscape architects must visualise a messier future that addresses new rela tionships between people, animals, plants and infrastructure and that harnesses and embraces nature and its processes. They can use their craftsmanship to integrate beauty and form into restoration ecology to enhance rewilding projects and should be more involved in the subject. I also think that landscape architects can have the ability to end this pattern and mindset of dominance over nature by being involved in rewilding projects that helps mend this fragmented relationship between humans and wildness.

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Images

Figure 1 - The wicklow uplands region - Google Earth

Figure 3 - European Environment Agency. (2020). Status of and trends in habitats and specie. In: State of na ture in the EU Results from reporting under the nature directives 2013-2018. Luxembourg: : Publications Office of the European Unio. 35 - 62

Figure 4 - https://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/Map

Figure 6 - https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/best-of-ireland/the-top-five-tourist-attractions-in-countywicklow

Figure 14 - http://www.celticfieldsports.com/sika-stag

Figure 15 – 16 -17 Paddy Purser MSIF M.Agr.Sc. (Forestry) Faith Wilson BSc (Hons) CEnv MIEEM Dr Ruth Carden B.Sc. (Hons. Zoology), Ph.D. (Science, Zoology) (2009). DEER AND FORESTRY IN IRELAND: A REVIEW OF CUR RENT STATUS AND MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS. avoca wicklow : Purser Tarleton Russell . 13 – 64

Figure 18 - https://www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WMNP_Map.pdf

Figure 19 - Wicklow Mountains National Park. (2016). Habitats . Available: https://www.wicklowmountainsna tionalpark.ie/nature/habitats/. Last accessed 16/1/21

Figure 22 - https://rewildingeurope.com/rewilding-in-action/wilder-nature/

Figure 23- 24- 25 Alan Watson Featherstone 2021 ( ). Photography . : . https://alanwatsonfeatherstone.com/ photography/