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

IE0000322

1.3 Site name

Rahasane Turlough SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

1995-08

1.5 Update date

2021-10

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:	1997-11
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	2017-11
National legal reference of SAC designation:	503/2017

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-8.786383
Latitude:	53.220630

2.2 Area [ha]

351.6603

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
3180			257.237	0.00	G	A	B	B	A

• 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	A054	Anas acuta			w	102	102	i		G	B	A	C	B
B	A056	Anas clypeata			w	498	498	i		G	B	A	C	A
B	A052	Anas crecca			w	3005	3005	i		G	B	A	C	A
B	A050	Anas penelope			w	7760	7760	i		G	B	A	C	A
B	A053	Anas platyrhynchos			w	777	777	i		G	C	A	C	A
B	A051	Anas strepera			w	4	4	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A395	Anser albifrons flavirostris			w	59	59	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A059	Aythya ferina			w	356	356	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A061	Aythya fuligula			w	381	381	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A149	Calidris alpina			w	3569	3569	i		G	B	A	B	A
B	A037	Cygnus columbianus bewickii			w	132	132	i		G	B	A	C	A
B	A038	Cygnus cygnus			w	179	179	i		G	C	A	C	A
B	A125	Fulica atra			w	1289	1289	i		G	B	A	C	B
B	A153	Gallinago gallinago			w	91	91	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A156	Limosa limosa			w	170	170	i		G	B	B	C	B
B	A160	Numenius arquata			w	1205	1205	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A140	Pluvialis apricaria			w	17680	17680	i		G	B	A	C	A
B	A162	Tringa totanus			w	155	155	i		G	C	A	C	C
B	A142	Vanellus vanellus			w	3995	3995	i		G	C	A	C	B

• 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		Cygnus olor			125	125	i							X
P		Rorippa islandica						P			X
I		Tanymastix stagnalis						P						X
P		Viola persicifolia						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	93.00
N09	3.00
N16	4.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

Rahasane is a very large turlough consisting of grassland and marshes sunk in an area of outcropping limestone. It is fed by a large catchment (Dunkellin River) and so is naturally eutrophic and productive with a large number of wintering birds. There is a little marl but no peat in the basin. The river flows through most of the area and its natural course is the centre of a significant aquatic community.

4.2 Quality and importance

This site has an excellent variety of vegetation, several rare plant species and huge bird populations in winter. It supports internationally important numbers of Cygnus cygnus, Anas penelope, Anas clypeata and Pluvialis apricaria. It is the largest site inland for Calidris alpina in Ireland and Britain. It was also the first place that Tanymastix stagnalis was found in these islands.

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)

Hutchinson, C. (1979). Ireland's Wetlands and Their Birds. Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Dublin.Lockhart, N. (1984). Report on the Wetland Vegetation of the Dunkellin and Lavally River Catchments. Unpublished report to the Forest & Wildlife Service, Dublin.Buckley, P. & McCarthy, T.K. (1987). Bird Communities in the Dunkellin/Lavally Catchment. Unpublished report to Wildlife Service, Dublin.Goodwillie, R.N. (1992). Turloughs Over 10ha - Vegetation Survey and Evaluation. Unpublished report to National Parks and Wildlife Service, Dublin.Grimmett, R.F.A. & Jones, T.A. (1989). Important Bird Areas in Europe. ICBP Technical Publication No. 9. ICBP, Cambridge.Sheppard, R. (1993). Ireland's Wetland Wealth. Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Dublin.Young, R. (1975). Tanymastix stagnalis (L.) new to Britain and Ireland. Irish Naturalists' Journal 18:203.

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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INSPIRE ID:	IE.NPWS.PS.NATURA2000.SAC.IE0000322
Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)
Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY