News

Flora (Protection) Order, 2015

Date Released: Friday, September 4, 2015

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has recently signed the new Flora (Protection) Order, 2015. The Flora (Protection) Order (FPO) protects a list of rare and threatened plants under the Wildlife Act, 1976. The 2015 FPO supersedes orders made in 1980, 1987 and 1999. Under the 2015 FPO, the schedules for vascular plants (68 species), one lichen and two stoneworts remain unchanged from the 1999 version, but the bryophyte schedule has been revised. The 1999 FPO listed 18 bryophytes (14 mosses & 4 liverworts), but this has been revised to now include 65 species (40 mosses & 25 liverworts).

The revision of the bryophyte schedule was deemed necessary following the publication of the bryophyte Red List for Ireland in Rare and Threatened Bryophytes of Ireland (Lockhart et al., 2012; see also Ireland Red List No.8: Bryophytes). The rationale and methodology applied in selecting the 65 bryophyte species listed on the 2015 FPO is outlined in Irish Wildlife Manual No. 87.

Reference:

Lockhart, N., Hodgetts, N. & Holyoak, D. (2012) Rare and Threatened Bryophytes of Ireland. Northern Ireland Publication No. 028, National Museums, Belfast.