For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

B

1.2 Site code

IE0000185

1.3 Site name

Sessiagh Lough SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

1995-11

1.5 Update date

2020-10

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Address:
Email:	datadelivery@chg.gov.ie

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site proposed as SCI:	1998-05
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	2016-05
National legal reference of SAC designation:	258/2016

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-7.935409
Latitude:	55.171159

2.2 Area [ha]

71.6045

2.3 Marine area [%]

0.0000

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
IE01	Border, Midland and Western

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Atlantic

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

Annex I Habitat types						Site assessment
Code	PF	NP	Cover [ha]	Cave [number]	Data quality	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Representativity	Relative Surface	Conservation	Global
3130			24.0868	0.00	M	B	C	B	B

• PF: for the habitat types that can have a non-priority as well as a priority form (6210, 7130, 9430) enter "X" in the column PF to indicate the priority form.
• NP: in case that a habitat type no longer exists in the site enter: x (optional)
• Cover: decimal values can be entered
• Caves: for habitat types 8310, 8330 (caves) enter the number of caves if estimated surface is not available.
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation)

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.
B	A395	Anser albifrons flavirostris			w	4	5	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A059	Aythya ferina			w	24	24	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A061	Aythya fuligula			w	34	34	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A103	Falco peregrinus			p	1	1	p		G	C	C	C	C
B	A009	Fulmarus glacialis			r	8	8	p		G	C	B	C	C
P	1833	Najas flexilis			p				P	DD	B	A	B	A
B	A193	Sterna hirundo			r	2	2	p		G	C	C	C	C

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
B		Larus canus			3	3	p							X
B		Larus ridibundus			103	103	p							X
F		Salmo trutta						P						X
F		Salvelinus alpinus						P			X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting, (see reference portal)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N06	37.00
N10	28.00
N08	23.00
N14	6.00
N07	6.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

Situated approximately 0.5km from the sea to the north, this site comprises an acid, deep, stony-bottomed lake with grassy, heathy cliffs to the south, blanket bog to the south-west and improved and humid grassland and scrub to the west. The margins of the lake support little emergent vegetation, however, a number of aquatic species do occur. The site includes a small rocky islet in the lake with gull and tern colonies. The site is underlain by quartzite.

4.2 Quality and importance

A diverse site that supports a range of rare or notable plants (Najas flexilis), birds (Falco peregrinus, Anser albifrons flavirostris, Sterno hirundo, Larus ridibundus), mammals (Lutra lutra) and fish (Salvelinus alpinus, Salmo trutta). Sessiagh Lough itself contains a number of species characteristic of oligotrophic lakes, but also supports several species more usually associated with mesotrophic situations; its trophic status appears to be in a state of flux.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

Young, R. (1973). A Report on Areas of Biological and Geological Interest in County Donegal. Unpublished report to Donegal County Council. An Foras Forbartha, Dublin. Lloyd, C. (1982). Inventory of Seabird Breeding Colonies in Republic of Ireland. Unpublished report to the Wildlife Service, Dublin. Whilde, A. (1985). The All Ireland Tern Survey 1984. Unpublished report, Galway. Whilde, A. (1993). Threatened Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and Fish in Ireland. Irish Red Data Book 2 : Vertebrates. HMSO, Belfast. Whilde, A. (1978). A survey of gulls breeding inland in the west of Ireland in 1977 and 1978 and a review of the inland breeding habitat in Ireland and Britain. Irish Birds, 1 (2) : 134-160. Whilde, A., Cotton, D.C.F. and Sheppard, J.R. (1993). A repeat survey of gulls breeding inland in Counties Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Galway, with recent counts from Leitrim and Fermanagh. Irish Birds, 5 : 67-72. kennedy, M. and Fitzmaurice, P. (1971). Growth and food of Brown Trout, Salmo trutta, in Irish waters. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 71B No. 18. Sheppard, R. (1993). Ireland's Wetland Wealth. Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Dublin.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)

Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY