Latest Land use, soils and transport reports

in: Research EPA Research Reports
Research 461

Research 461: Reframe Landscape Character Assessment

Authors: Ruth Minogue, Karen Foley, Craig Bullock, Ronan Hennessy, Eilis Vaughan, Conor Norton, Pat Doherty and Laura Kearney, September 2024

Year: 2024

Landscape character assessment (LCA) describes variation in the character of the landscape and elements and identifies the features that make landscapes unique. The Reframe LCA project identified the absence of a coherent policy approach when it comes to LCA in Ireland and a lack of baseline information at national and regional scales. This makes it difficult to describe and assess landscape character and creates an inconsistent approach to landscape planning and management across scales and between authorities. The project developed a comprehensive, step-by-step toolkit and a training module to support stakeholders, including state bodies, local authorities and community groups, in undertaking comprehensive LCAs at different scales across Ireland. It aims to support national policy objectives, including those related to mitigation of and adaption to climate change, the agricultural and energy sectors, forestry and transport, National Landscape Strategy & National Planning Framework.

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Research 401: Peatland Properties Influencing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removal

Authors: Florence Renou-Wilson, Kenneth A. Byrne, Raymond Flynn, Alina Premrov, Emily Riondato, Matthew Saunders, Killian Walz and David Wilson, January 2022

Year: 2022

Irish bogs have been drastically altered by human activities and the sampled peat properties reflect the nature and magnitude of the impact of land use and management. A recognition of the heterogeneity found across Irish peat soils, together with an understanding of the relationships between key soil properties, are critical for developing effective strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of these degraded ecosystems. Our findings clearly support the need for a site-by-site approach for rewetting management schemes.

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Research 395: Cumulative Health Effects of Metal(loids) through Aggregate Environmental Pathways

Authors: Rajat Nag and Enda Cummins, November 2021

Year: 2021

Background levels of metal(loid)s coupled with anthropogenic sources may lead to increased levels of certain metal(loid)s in soil, leading to potential uptake by plants. This study develops a source–pathway–receptor conceptual model for metal(loid)s in environmental media. The study presents an approach that can be extended to further evaluate pollutants and their environment–health interactions.

Research 309

Research 309: Evaluating the Suitability of the Land Parcel Identification System for Assessing Land Use and Land Use Change-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Authors: Jesko Zimmermann and Jane Stout, March 2020

Year: 2020

Land use and land use change have a significant impact on national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are therefore an integral part of national GHG reporting, as laid out by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In Ireland, land use and land use change reporting is currently based on total national agricultural area data provided by the Central Statistics Office.

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Research 260: Impact of Cattle Access to Watercourses: Literature Review on Behalf of the COSAINT Project

Authors: Paul O’Callaghan, Mary Kelly-Quinn, Eleanor Jennings, Patricia Antunes, Matt O’Sullivan, Owen Fenton and Daire Ó hUallacháin., October 2018

Year: 2018

The primary objective of this literature review was to collate and assess the available literature on the environmental impact of cattle access to watercourses, with an emphasis on empirical research that is directly relevant to the environmental effects.

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Research 225: SoilC - Feasibility of Grassland Soil Carbon Survey

Authors: Gerard Kiely, Paul Leahy, Ciaran Lewis, Xianli Xu and Matteo Sottocornola, October 2017

Year: 2017

Research 225 on SoilC - Feasibility of Grassland Soil Carbon Survey

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Research 221: 21st Century Deforestation in Ireland

Authors: John Devaney, John Redmond, Brian Barrett, Grace Cott and John O’Halloran, September 2017

Year: 2017

Research 221 on 21st Century Deforestation in Ireland

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Research 217: Beneficial Use of Old Landfills as a Parkland Amenity

Authors: Cathriona Cahill and Cora Plant, June 2017

Year: 2017

EPA Research Report 217 on the Beneficial Use of Old Landfills as a Parkland Amenity

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Research 198: The Irish Land Mapping Observatory: Mapping and Monitoring Land Cover, Use and Change

Authors: Fiona Cawkwell, Brian Barrett, Ingmar Nitze, Stuart Green, Kevin Black and Peter Hallahan, April 2017

Year: 2017

Research Report 198 on The Irish Land Mapping Observatory: Mapping and Monitoring Land Cover, Use and Change

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Research 200: Health and Water Quality Impacts Arising from Land Spreading of Biosolids

Authors: Mark G. Healy, Owen Fenton, Enda Cummins, Rachel Clarke, Dara Peyton, Ger Fleming, David Wall, Liam Morrison and Martin Cormican, January 2017

Year: 2017

Research Report 200 detailing the Health and Water Quality Impacts Arising from Land Spreading of Biosolids

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Research 204: Irish Soil Information System: Soil Property Maps

Authors: Rachel E. Creamer, Iolanda Simo, Lilian O’Sullivan, Brian Reidy, Rogier P.O. Schulte and Reamonn M. Fealy, December 2016

Year: 2016

This report has synthesised the soil profile descriptions taken as part of the Irish Soil Information System project and developed a range of soil property maps to provide users with generalised descriptions of a range of soil properties which are relevant to soil science research and soil management advice in Ireland. The property maps include; soil texture, soil depth, soil pH, soil bulk density and soil carbon.

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Research 178B: Sustainability Evaluation Metric for Policy Recommendation: Technical Guidance Manual

Authors: Bernadette O’Regan, Travis O’Doherty, Brian G. Fitzgerald and Richard Moles, December 2016

Year: 2016

This Guide accompanies Research 178A: Quantitative Evaluation of Settlement Sustainability Policy

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Research 178A: Quantitative Evaluation of Settlement Sustainability Policy

Bernadette O’Regan, Travis O’Doherty, Brian G. Fitzgerald and Richard Moles, December 2016

Year: 2016

This report explains a method and decision support tool designed to aid Local Authorities and communities in prioritising policies which benefit the environment and are appropriate for their circumstances.

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Research 179: Soil Status and Protection

Authors: F. Bampa, K. Daly, R. Fealy, L. O’Sullivan, R. P.O. Schulte, C. Gutzler, D. Wall and R.E. Creamer, October 2016

Year: 2016

The objectives of this desk study were to review the current EU and Irish legislations, policies and available data which assess or encompass soil protection issues for Ireland.

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Research 130: Irish Soils Information System

Research 130: Rachel Creamer, Reamonn Fealy, Stephen Hallett, Jack Hannam, Nick Holden, Bob Jones, Thomas Mayr, Iolanda Simo, Rogier Schulte, September 2014

Year: 2014

The overall objective of the Irish Soil Information System project was to conduct a programme of structured research into the national distribution of soil types and construct a soil map, at 1:250,000 scale, which would identify and describe the soils according to a consistent national legend.

Summary Of Findings (EPA Research 130): Irish Soils Information System

Summary Of Findings (EPA Research 130): Irish Soils Information System: Rachel Creamer, Reamonn Fealy, Stephen Hallett, Jack Hannam, Nick Holden, Bob Jones, Thomas Mayr, Iolanda Simo, Rogier Schulte, September 2014

Year: 2014

The overall objective of the Irish Soils Information System project was to conduct a programme of structured research into the national distribution of soil types and construct a soil map, at 1:250,000 scale, which would identify and describe the soils according to a consistent national legend.

Summary of Findings - STRIVE Report 126

Summary of Findings - STRIVE Report 126: The Application of Geophysics to a Number of Threats to Irish Soil (Shane Donohue), August 2014

Year: 2014

This research fellowship has applied a number of geophysical techniques in conjunction with conventional approaches, to a number of areas of concern in relation to threats to Irish Soils.

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STRIVE Report 126: The Application of Geophysics to a Number of Threats to Irish Soil

Final Report of the EPA-funded Research Fellowship 2008-S-FS-5 (Shane Donohue), August 2014

Year: 2014

This research fellowship has applied a number of geophysical techniques in conjunction with conventional approaches, to a number of areas of concern in relation to threats to Irish Soils.

Methodologies For The Estimation Of Sustainable Settlement Size

Synthesis Report - ERTDI report 4 - Moles et al , January 2013

Year: 2013

Meeting immediate needs of National Spatial Strategy

Pagination