Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

118 Chapter 5: Land Table 5.2  Ireland’s national land cover profile Land cover type: level 1 (8 classes) Land cover type: level 1 (km 2 ) Land cover type: level 1 (% of area) Land cover type: level 2 (36 classes) Land cover type: level 2 (km 2 ) Land cover type: level 2 (% of area) Grassland, swamp and saltmarsh 38,279.7 54.2 Improved grassland 29,332.3 41.5 Amenity grassland 1,285.6 1.8 Dry grassland 795.4 1.1 Wet grassland 6,685.5 9.5 Saltmarsh 57.5 0.1 Sand dunes 102.6 0.1 Swamp 22.7 0.03 Forest, woodland and scrub 12,907.2 12.2 Coniferous forest 2,564.4 3.6 Mixed forest 495 0.7 Transitional forest 3,856.7 5.5 Broadleaved forest and woodland 1,708.6 2.4 6.1 Scrub 1,301 1.8 Hedgerows 2,247.9 3.2 Treelines 733.9 1 Peatland 4,622 6.5 Raised bog 462.7 0.7 Blanket bog 2,497.4 3.5 Cutover bog 1,102.5 1. 6 Bare peat 529.6 0.7 Fens 30.7 0.04 Heath and bracken 4,569.1 6.5 Bracken 281.3 0.4 Dry heath 1,992.6 2.8 Wet heath 2,295.3 3.2 Cultivated land 4,270.3 6.0 Cultivated land 4,270.3 6 Artificial surfaces 2,681 3.8 Buildings 416.8 0.6 Ways 1,169.9 1.7 Other artificial surfaces 1,093.5 1.6 Water bodies n/a a 2.8 Rivers and streams 593.8 0.8 Lakes and ponds 1,312.6 1.9 Artificial water bodies 36.5 0.05 Transitional water bodies 25 0.04 Marine water 4,029.8 n/a a