This was a Heritage Council (Ireland) funded project aimed to collect baseline data on the location and distribution of bryophytes in Co. Kildare.  Co. Kildare contains many sites with the potential to support rare and scarce bryophytes but, prior to commencement of this project, was one of the most under-recorded counties in Ireland.  Participation by volunteers and organised field meetings helped keen bryologists develop their identification and recording skills.

There were 18 under-recorded hectads (10km x 10km squares) in Kildare and bryophyte recording was undertaken in all of these over the course of the project.  OSI maps and aerial photography were used to select different habitat types within each hectad. A range of habitat types within each square was visited and bryophytes recorded. Several recording weekends were held and led by visiting bryologists from the UK: Tom Blockeel, David Chamberlain and Nick Hodgetts.

This account written by Joanne Denyer, November 2020

Summary of project results:

• Records: A total of 2,514 bryophyte records were made for 254 bryophyte species (45 liverwort species and 209 bryophyte species.
• Hectad coverage: Prior to the commencement of the project, most hectads in Co. Kildare (11 out of 18) had less than 10 bryophyte species recorded from them. Six hectads had between 10 to 49 records and only one had more than 50.  At the completion of the project, nine hectads had over 100 bryophyte species recorded, and all had more than 50 species recorded.  Only one hectad had less than 70 species (S79) and many potentially bryophyte rich habitats in this hectad are within Co. Wicklow, not Co. Kildare.
• NVCR/ De-brackets: There were 76 NVCRs/ de-brackets made during the project.
• New species to Ireland: In October 2012, Nick Hodgetts discovered the liverwort Chalk Notchwort Lophozia perssonii new to Ireland on a tufa mound at a site south of Kill. This was the first record of this species in Ireland.  It is not known from Northern Ireland and has an eastern distribution in Britain where it is an uncommon species on chalk and Magnesian limestone.  It has been recorded in Britain from the midlands, north-east England and East Anglia.  This Irish record represents a new westerly locality for the species.
• Habitats: The main habitats which were found to be bryophyte rich were natural/ semi-natural habitats such as fen, raised bog, mixed woodland, conifer plantation, mature trees, rivers and streams and calcareous grassland. However, man-made and urban habitats such as stubble fields, walls, churchyards and monuments, tarmac, canal walls, quarries, bridges and lock-gates often also supported a high diversity of bryophytes and rare or interesting bryophyte species.
• Rare species: Records were made for 9 Irish RDB species (Lockhart et al., 2012): Bryum caespiticium (Vulnerable), Campyliadelphus elodes (Near Threatened), Cephaloziella elachista (Data Deficient), Didymodon tomaculosus (Vulnerable), Ditrichum flexicaule (Data Deficient), Hygroamblystegium fluviatile (Near Threatened), Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Near Threatened), Tomentypnum nitens (Vulnerable) and Tortula modica (Vulnerable).
• Important sites for bryophytes: Twenty sites were considered to be of particular bryophyte interest (Table 1), as they either supported habitats which are rare in County Kildare (e.g. acid rock), had a high bryophyte biodiversity or supported rare species (at a national or county level).

Table 1: Selected County Kildare sites considered important for bryophytes

The following is a selected list of sites considered important for bryophytes, and the main reason for their inclusion in this list.

Note: RDB = Red Data Book.

Ballynafagh Bog & Lake (N82)

Bryophyte rich habitats: raised bog and fen; SAC protected site; number of new vice-county records from site.

Bonynge Bridge, Downings, Prosperous, Co Kildare (N82)

RDB species recorded: Kandaea elodes (Campyliadelphus elodes) in calcareous grassland

Carbury Bog (N63)

Bryophyte rich habitat: raised bog; NHA protected site.

Curragh (N71)

Fen and calcareous grassland, Curragh

Range of semi-natural habitats important for bryophytes: calcareous and acid grassland and wetland areas. pNHA protected site.

Donadea Forest Park (N83)

High diversity of bryophytes in context of Kildare where woodlands are rare; RDB species: Bryum caespiticium recorded; number of new vice-county records. pNHA protected site.

Globeisland/ Cloncarlin Bog, SE of Monasterevin (N60)

Bryophyte rich habitat: raised bog; RDB species: Cephaloziella elachista recorded

Harristown Common

Bryophyte rich habitat: alkaline fen; RDB species Kandaea elodes (Campyliadelphus elodes) recorded

Hartwell Lower & Upper, South of Kill (N92)

Alkaline fen and tufa springs frequent in area.  RDB species: Ditrichum flexicaule; Lophozia perssonii new to Ireland and number of new vice-county records

Hill of Allen (N72)

High biodiversity in county context; presence of acid rock (quarry) is rare in county and mixed woodland; number of new vice-county records

Kilcullen town and River Liffey (N80)

High diversity of bryophytes in urban habitats and bridge by river; number of new vice-county records

Kingsbog or Common (N70)

Bryophyte rich habitat: bog, fen and conifer woodland; RDB species Ephemerum cohaerens (threat status ‘vulnerable’; recorded in 2005 by David Holyoak); New vice-county record.

Leixlip Spa

Petrifying springs and fen, Leixlip Spa

Bryophyte rich habitats: petrifying (calcareous) springs; calcareous grassland; stonework; wet calcareous soil; scrub; river; number of new vice-county records. SAC protected site.

Lodge Bog, Lullymore (N72)

Bryophyte rich habitat: raised bog; number of new vice-county records

Monasterevin town centre (N61)

High diversity of bryophytes in urban habitats; number of new vice-county records; tufa spring on canal to north of town

Moore Abbey Woodland (Coilte) N60

Mixed woodland with high biodiversity in county context; number of new vice-county records

Mouds Bog (N81)

Mouds Bog (Raised Bog) with Nick Hodgetts

Bryophyte rich habitat: raised bog; number of new vice-county records. SAC protected site.

North of Sousheen Common (N edge of Liffey River Meander Belt pNHA) (N91)

Roadside bank to north of site has high bryophyte diversity as soil is calcareous and shading maintains humid conditions; number of species uncommon in county and only known site for RDB species: Plagiomnium cuspidatum (new vice-county record). pNHA protected site.

Pollardstown Fen (N71)

Bryophyte rich habitats: petrifying (calcareous) springs, alkaline fen and scrub; RDB species: Tomentypnum nitens locally frequent. SAC protected site.

River Liffey

River Liffey, with Nick Hodgetts

High biodiversity on mature trees by river; aquatic habitats; wetland areas adjacent to river and bridegs and other stonework. Number of new vice-county records and RDB species: Hygroamblystegium fluviatile. pNHA protected site.

Grand Canal

High biodiversity on mature trees by canal, stonework, lock gates, aquaducts and bridges. pNHA protected site.