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19/05/2004
Project assesses urban garden biodiversity
The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) has commissioned a team from the University of Sheffield to carry out a survey of gardens in Belfast, assessing their value for wildlife.
The project builds on a pilot, 'Biodiversity in Urban Gardens in Sheffield', the new BUGS project and will take the earlier study UK-wide over the next three years.
Peter Cush of EHS said: “Domestic gardens in the UK cover over a quarter of a million acres. That’s more land than is in all the Nature Reserves put together. With their different soils, mixtures of native and exotic plants, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals they make a significant contribution to biodiversity.”
In order to find out more about this contribution, EHS has joined a UK partnership, through the University of Sheffield, to study a representative sample of city gardens in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leicester and Oxford.
In Belfast, between 30 and 40 gardens will be chosen for study in the north, south, east and west of the city. Large and small gardens, and even a few back yards, will be chosen to get a representative sample that will then be compared with gardens in England, Scotland and Wales.
Mr Cush added: “This is an important part of the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy. We are increasingly recognising the importance of gardens in contributing to biodiversity conservation. For the majority of people, gardens are the most direct way that they can experience and actively encourage wildlife.”
The DOE published the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy in 2002. The Strategy builds on the recommendations of a locally based advisory group; which included 76 main actions required to conserve the variety of life in Northern Ireland.
(MB)
The project builds on a pilot, 'Biodiversity in Urban Gardens in Sheffield', the new BUGS project and will take the earlier study UK-wide over the next three years.
Peter Cush of EHS said: “Domestic gardens in the UK cover over a quarter of a million acres. That’s more land than is in all the Nature Reserves put together. With their different soils, mixtures of native and exotic plants, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals they make a significant contribution to biodiversity.”
In order to find out more about this contribution, EHS has joined a UK partnership, through the University of Sheffield, to study a representative sample of city gardens in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leicester and Oxford.
In Belfast, between 30 and 40 gardens will be chosen for study in the north, south, east and west of the city. Large and small gardens, and even a few back yards, will be chosen to get a representative sample that will then be compared with gardens in England, Scotland and Wales.
Mr Cush added: “This is an important part of the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy. We are increasingly recognising the importance of gardens in contributing to biodiversity conservation. For the majority of people, gardens are the most direct way that they can experience and actively encourage wildlife.”
The DOE published the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy in 2002. The Strategy builds on the recommendations of a locally based advisory group; which included 76 main actions required to conserve the variety of life in Northern Ireland.
(MB)
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North Belfast Security Alert Ends With 'Nothing Untoward Found'
A security operation in north Belfast has ended with "nothing untoward found", police have reported. Major searches were carried out in the Limestone Road and Duncairn Gardens area following reports that a "device" had been left. A number of roads were closed and police are warning people not to touch any suspicious.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A cloudy day with a little light rain or drizzle at times, but some spells of drier weather too. The north coast may become somewhat brighter later this afternoon. Maximum temperature 11 °C.Tonight:Cloudy and patchy light rain will slowly clear away this evening. Then the rest of the night will be dry with broken cloud. Westerly winds freshening in the early hours. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
