Biodiversity Research

The NIEA's role fundamentally relates to the gathering of scientific information to underpin the work of conserving the natural heritage of Northern Ireland.  Particular research elements include detailed research in support of the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy (.PDF 1.5Mb) wildlife research and investigations into the impact and management of introduced species. Example of such projects include the reintroduction of the Red Kite in County Down.

Biodiversity research also inlcudes large repeat environmental audits such as the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey which is a large scale national vegetation survey undertaken every ten years to assess land use and the extent of habitat types in Northern Ireland, and most of the work carried out by QUERCUS . Currently one of the largest of these projects is the All Ireland invasive species project, which is investigating the spread impact and management of invasive species throughout Ireland.

NICS Technical Report

Northern Ireland Countryside Survey technical report (.PDF 1.36Mb).