Burren Flora Habitats

Though the Burren region represents less than 1% of the National land cover, the richness and diversity of the natural and cultural heritage present belies its compact size. Over 70% of Ireland’s native species of flora are found here, including 23 of the 27 native orchid species, as well as a very rich and interesting fauna. Some 30,462ha of the Burren have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation in recognition of the international conservation importance of the region.

Within the Burren are found sixteen Annex I habitats, five of them described as ‘Priority Habitats’ under the EU Habitats Directive. These are limestone pavements, orchid-rich grasslands, petrifying springs, turloughs and Cladium fens.

The main habitat present in the Burren is limestone pavement, and it is estimated that almost 18,000ha of this habitat (from a national total of c. 30,000ha) are found within the Burren. A variety of pavement forms are visible – smooth, blocky and shattered. Many of the pavements are very well developed with impressive arrays of karst and karren features.

Over one quarter of the estimated 6,000ha of orchid-rich calcareous grasslands remaining in Ireland are found in the Burren. Very species-rich, these pastures contain orchid species such as the pyramidal, frog, fragrant, bee, fly and spotted orchids. These grasslands are of very high quality within the Burren.

An estimated 275ha of turloughs are found within the Burren, equating to c.9% of the national total for this priority habitat. These important, unique habitats are an Irish speciality, and are very closely associated with glaciated karst regions such as the Burren.

The estimated area of petrifying springs with tufa formations in Ireland is a mere 0.5ha, with the springs present in the Burren are likely to represent a significant proportion of the national total. An estimated 200ha of Cladium fen are found in the East Burren Complex SAC, representing 8% of the national total for this habitat.

The scale, diversity, quality and uniqueness of the habitats present in the Burren is unparalleled at a regional, national - and possibly even an EU - context. The fact that these habitats exist in a non-fragmented landscape ‘unit’ further enhances their ecological significance, as does their largely positive conservation status.