4.6.1 Nature in Dublin

Dublin has an urban ecosystem in which human activities largely direct the existence of species to survive in a highly fragmented landscape. Some species have not survived these human actions, due to loss of habitats, particularly those

which have specialised requirements.

There are still areas of high nature value within Dublin City which remain as fragments of our historic landscape. Most of these are in public ownership, and the role of parks to preserve our connection with our natural history is vital.

Our connection with nature is crucial to maintaining our quality of life and the uniqueness of where we live. Therefore, it is essential that we recognise the importance of nature, not just for ourselves, but in terms of its own intrinsic qualities, which enrich our city and need to be respected in how we manage the environment.

Biodiversity is short for biological diversity, which is defined as ‘all living things’ and includes soil. Ireland is committed to implementing international agreements, therefore, our parks are managed not only for the people in the greater Dublin area who are using them, but also for the continuation of ecological networks spanning across Europe, North America and Africa and their migratory species.

In this way, it is recognised that biodiversity operates on many scales from the global level to city level to habitat level and parks are managed to reflect this.

The remaining natural areas in Dublin City have populations of native flora and fauna that date back through time several thousand years or more. They can be viewed as reservoirs or gene ‘pools’, which store the original genetic biodiversity in Dublin for these species. By keeping habitats intact for flora and fauna, the associated genes are banked. This can ensure

survival of species into the future despite threats such as diseases, by encouraging more strains or genetic families to avoid extinction.

Policy

• To ensure parks management practices prioritise the protection of habitats for threatened species and for protection of rare species and habitats in our parks.
• To protect genetic biodiversity by planting only native species of Irish provenance (where available) in areas of high ecological importance, including river corridors and coastal habitats.