Project’s Abstract

This research project analyses farming practices on Inis Oírr using Copernicus Sentinel satellite data to explore the evolving landscape of high nature value farmland areas. Inis Oírr, known for its distinct agricultural practices and diverse habitat types, is home to a rich mosaic of rare Irish and European habitats, including orchid-rich grasslands, limestone pavements, and dry heaths. Over 75% of its land area is classified as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive, emphasising the significance of its biodiversity and its survival in relation to these agricultural techniques.

This research aims to showcase the story of Inis Oírr’s agricultural heritage through a functional website (AranIslandsAgriculture.com), recognising its reliance on traditional farming practices and the utilisation of its distinctive terrain. This website will curate critical information, presenting a narrative that delves deep into the island’s history, endangered species conservation, and the preservation of traditional farming practices on which the island and its endangered fauna and flora are dependent.

Using Copernicus Sentinel satellite data, particularly from satellites 1 and 2, this study will track changes in agricultural patterns over time, capturing seasonal variations and geographical nuances. Employing tools like ESA SNAP, I aim to generate time-lapse visualizations to illustrate these changes and calculate indices like NDVI to map arable land, livestock areas, and the distribution of rare species within the designated Nature 2000 sites.

Ultimately, this project is a tribute to the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, where sustainable land management practices serve as guardians of Inis Oírr’s unique ecological fabric. Through satellite imagery, it tells the story of Inis Oírr’s agricultural journey, aiming to preserve the island’s agricultural heritage while highlighting the critical link between traditional farming practices and biodiversity conservation in such environments.

About Me

My name is Zoe Heffernan and I’m from Dundrum, co. Tipperary. Currently I’m in my final year of studying Digital Humanities & Information Technology at UCC. I study Philosophy as my elective and for this semester I am currently undertaking a research project alongside this study, entitled, “ Using the case of Mengele to offer a critique of Arendt’s concept of the Banality of evil ”. For my third year, I participated in an Erasmus exchange for a period of ten months, studying a diverse range of modules at Universität Leipzig, Germany through their innovative faculties of computer science and the humanities. This experience, along with the critical skills I’ve obtained from many computer science and DH modules throughout the semesters have both prepared and equipped me for what these research projects entail.

This is a representative image of Inis Oirr, I obtained this using sentinel satellite 2 imagery data, using the EU copernicus platform SNAP.