Farming and Natura 2000 Case Study
Most of the Irish landscape and the habitats and species within it have evolved over thousands of years of interaction with agriculture. While recent decades have seen unprecedented changes in land management, this has been most pronounced on better lands where higher mechanical and chemical inputs have greatly altered habitats and reduced biodiversity. In contrast, on more ‘marginal’ agricultural lands and areas of bog and mountain, geographical and climatic constraints have ensured a more benign interaction between people and nature, resulting in the survival of a rich range of habitats and species. These areas, largely dominated by extensive, low-input cattle and sheep production but dogged by poor social and economic viability, are the heart of Ireland’s N2000 network which is part of an EU-wide network of sites selected on the basis of their high biodiversity value. The vision for N2000 is a ‘partnership between people and nature’ and the health of the Network is inextricably linked with the farming communities in these areas.