Letterkenny academic Dr Annaleigh Margay has been appointed research director of the Irish Ancient Forests Project.
Dr Margay is Head of Humanities at Dundalk Institute of Technology.
She will lead a work package for doctoral researchers to undertake a project to determine the age of forests through the assessment of historical maps and documentary evidence.
The project will be carried out in collaboration with project coordinator John Devaney from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
The research grant of €1,215,941.46 was awarded to Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), NUI Maynooth and Teagasc Research. The grant is one of 20 awarded nationally to support the research of 16 institutions, worth a total of just over €24 million.
Dr Margay recently attended a funding announcement by Minister Charlie McConalogue at the DAFM Backweston Campus.
The Ancient Woodlands Ireland project aims to better understand and protect Ireland’s forests.
Researchers will use historical maps and documents to understand how Ireland’s forest cover has changed over the past 400 years. We also plan to create new maps that pinpoint the location and extent of ancient forests, and use a large database of species diversity information (fauna and flora) to identify indicator species associated with ancient forests.
It is hoped that the findings of this project will provide valuable data to help better protect and restore Ireland’s ancient forests. This information can be used to prioritize conservation actions and ensure the long-term health of these critical ecosystems.
Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said: “I am delighted to announce more than €24 million in funding for 20 research projects resulting from the 2023 Thematic Research Call.” Research funded under our research call will provide farmers, foresters and the wider agricultural sector with the information they need to improve economic, environmental and social sustainability in the years to come. Essential for providing tools. It is also critical to developing the next generation of cutting-edge technologies and innovations that will ensure our food island’s global attractiveness and competitiveness. ”
Letterkenny, the academic part of a €1.2 million study to uncover the history of ancient forests Last modified: January 19, 2024 by