Urban biodiversity

Ecology and environment

Sir, – Your article “Ireland’s native forests being ‘ecologically trashed’” (News, April 27th) draws attention to the dire state of nature in Ireland, and to Eamon Ryan’s plea that “the scale of change we need means it won’t work if any section of society is left behind”.

While much attention is given to rural environments, our urban and suburban environments are being “ecologically trashed”, as developers provide ever smaller gardens for new properties and residents routinely obliterate gardens of all sizes by covering them in gravel or concrete.

Is anyone measuring the increasing loss of biodiversity in and around our towns and cities, or its effects on people’s physical and psychological health? – Yours, etc,

TRICIA CUSACK,

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Greystones,

Co Wicklow.