Increasing environmental damage to some of Ireland's most endangered wildlife has led to the launch of 10 new environmental plans in Co Clare.
The biodiversity action plans have been created in response to region's "rich heritage and diverse wildlife habitats coming under increasing threat," Clare County Council acting heritage officer Tomás Mac Conmara said.
Included in the 10 plans produced by the Clare Heritage Office is a strategy to protect the region's world-famous limestone landscape and studies into unique and threatened species, including the Irish pollan and Leisler's Bat.
"The growing demands of the tourism and leisure industry and increasing visitor numbers are taking their toll on the environment of the Burren," Mr Mac Conmara said.
"This has resulted in environmental damage through car parking and camping on fragile species-rich, limestone grasslands." Growing tourism was also threatening the county's fragile sand dune system, he said.
A sand dune action plan will be unveiled next month, which will include reducing vehicle and pedestrian access. Clare Biodiversity group chairman Dr. Simon Berrow said although the action plans had outlined what was required, it was "imperative" these were implemented with the community input.