Recent research from TCD challenges the belief that tourism destroys natural habitats in Ireland. The study at Derrynane, a Special Area of Conservation, revealed that managed grazing by the Office of Public Works (OPW) can actually boost biodiversity in sensitive dune ecosystems. By comparing grazed and ungrazed areas, researchers found that biodiversity increased in grazed plots and decreased significantly in ungrazed ones. This suggests that with proper management, tourism can coexist with conservation efforts, balancing public access with ecological health.
"Our findings highlight how targeted conservation grazing supports the health of species-rich dune habitats, providing a valuable tool for land managers to balance conservation with public access."
"Essentially tourism can and does cause damage if it's not managed correctly, but our research challenges the assumption that tourism is solely destructive to these habitats."
Collection
[
|
...
]