Project background
The Flora (Protection) Order, 2022 (S.I. No. 235 of 2022) gives legal protection to 65 species of bryophytes in the Republic of Ireland (25 liverworts and 40 mosses). Information packs are now available for each of the known FPO bryophyte populations, downloadable as PDF documents.
There are 476 such “Taxon Site” documents. A Taxon Site is defined here as an assemblage of all the records for a particular taxon at a particular place (as there may have been several sightings of a taxon at roughly the same place, made by different people, and on different occasions over the years). Each Taxon Site is represented on the Map Viewer by a single coordinate. The coordinate might be the most accurate and most recent record at a Taxon Site, or it might be the best guess for sites where a taxon hasn’t been seen for many years. All the PDF documents contain basic information on the taxon threat status, location (grid reference, vice-county), recorder name and date, OS Discovery map, management and conservation recommendations and a descriptive extract from Rare and Threatened Bryophytes of Ireland. Over 300 Taxon Sites have recent survey data and more accurate information is available for these, including field data sheets, GPS coordinates, aerial photographs, site maps and site photographs.
The process for revision of the FPO from the Red Data List is explained in the Irish Wildlife Manual – IWM87.pdf and reviewed in Revision of the Flora (Protection) Order in the Republic of Ireland.
Project map and data resources
Flora Protection Order Map Viewer – Bryophytes and CSV Download
For project enquiries please email: nature.conservation@npws.gov.ie