Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council

iNtroductioN
roscommoN
Roscommon is an inland county with a wealth of nature and
wildlife, and natural amenities. The landscape is generally
low-lying with gently rolling hills and vistas. The only upland
areas in Roscommon are to the north of the county where
the land rises above 250m in places. Most of the county is
underlain by carboniferous limestone although there are
a few pockets of sandstone in the north, west and east of
the county. The mighty River Shannon borders the county
to the east while the River Suck flows along its western and
southern borders. The climate, geology, soil, topography,
and land use history of Roscommon are the main factors
that determine the rich variety of habitats, plants and
animals that are found in the county.
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Leaf of insect-eating plant, sundew.
Photo by John Earley
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is life and all living things! Biodiversity can be
thought of as another term for nature, wildlife. It is our
natural heritage. Biodiversity includes all plants, animals,
fungi and microbes. It also includes people. Biodiversity
also refers to the places that plants and animals live
(habitats), the interactions among living things as they live,
reproduce and die (the web of life), and their relationship
with the environment. The term biodiversity emphasises
the importance of maintaining the variety of living things
because this diversity is fundamental to our health, wellbeing
and economy.
Biodiversity forms the building blocks of the living
world. It is all around us in the countryside, from the tops
of mountains to the depths of the ocean, in fields and
hedgerows, lakes and rivers, woodland and wetlands.
Biodiversity is also found in our cities and towns, on
rooftops, in gardens, parks and green spaces; along canals,
in ditches and even the smallest of puddles. Where there is
life there is biodiversity.