IN THIS ISSUE

Abstract

IN THIS ISSUE Cite as follows: Bruce Osborne 2011 In this issue. Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 111B (2), i-ii; DOI: 10.3318/ BIOE.2011,2.i. CONSERVING THE HEN HARRIER I still recall as a young boy being shown a hen harrier on a stubble cereal field in Norfolk as well as watching its close relative the marsh harrier soaring over Blakeney Marshes, on the north Norfolk coast, in the company of a bird-watching friend. More recently I visited the Hawk and Owl Trust reserve at Sculthorpe, also in Norfolk, where they have been successful in bringing back the marsh harrier to breed. The fate of both of these bird species still, however, hangs in the balance, largely due to habitat loss and direct persecution by man, but also due to new land-use activities associated with renewable energy production. Of the two species, the hen harrier is the rarer bird, although it was much more common in the past in Ireland. In the UK it was largely a winter visitor. Although there has been some success in recent years in preserv ing this magnificent species, afforestation, wind farm development and intensive agricultural activities are a major threat to the existence of the hen harrier, as the opinion article by O'Donoghue et al., in this issue, documents. Of particular concern is the likely increased expansion of wind farms and afforestation programmes as part of Ireland's renewable energy initiatives, although, as O'Donoghue et al. point out, public awareness of this is conflict of interest is often poor. The authors argue that much more con sideration of the impact of afforestation and wind farm development on not only hen harriers, but also on a range of other wildlife is required, as well as the introduction of measures to lessen or eliminate any detrimental effects. While wind farming and afforestation may have a considerably reduced envi ronmental footprint compared to more traditional sources of energy production, they still have some negative effects that argue for a more critical assess ment of their impact in the future. CONSERVING ORCHID DIVERSITY Habitat fragmentation is regarded as a major driver associated with the initial loss and subsequent extinction of species, through an initial reduction in genetic diversity. Maintenance of genetic diversity is therefore considered a key factor in many con servation programmes. Despite this we know very little about the genetic diversity of natural popula tions or its functional significance—to what extent, for instance, does genetic diversity contribute to success? An answer to this last question awaits a much more detailed assessment of genetic diversity and the identification of the role(s) of different genes. Duffy et al., in this issue, describe a study on the small white orchid (Psuedorchis albida), an endan gered species in Ireland that exists as small isolated populations, each with a low population size. These authors employed two molecular-based approaches to get a better understanding of genetic diversity in the small white orchid and the closely-related species P. straminea. Conflicting results relating to genetic diversity were found using the two approaches, one actually showing a high level of genetic diversity, while the other indicated little or no variation. Interestingly, the study revealed a closer relationship between P. straminea and all other Irish individu als examined, rather than with P. albida, indicating that the taxonomic affiliations of these two species requires further examination. While the conserva tion of P albida is clearly a priority, the significance or otherwise of any reduction in genetic diversity has yet to be evaluated and may require new tools and approaches, including alternative molecular biology techniques. THE FRESHWATER SHRIMP IN IRELAND Sometimes we are rather complacent in our belief that we have a near-complete record all of the species that exists in the country. Recent evidence suggests, however, that we should be cautious about making a categorical statement about this, as new species turn up on a fairly regular basis. Chance or deliberate introductions are also causing our biota to change, although the extent of this change remains largely unknown. In part this lack of knowledge is due to the under-recording of...