East Lough Neagh Points Biodiversity Profile

In the following account of this LCA it should be noted that for consistency, the biodiversity section follows the standard order for all LCAs even though some of the communities discussed later may have more importance for biodiversity than those discussed earlier

Key Characteristics

• Woodlands account for around 4.5% of the land cover; four-fifths of this is broadleaved wet woodland (a Priority Habitat) principally around the shore of Lough Neagh
• Grassland accounts for almost 75% of the land cover; four-fifths of this is improved pastures, but there are examples of more species-diverse, traditionally managed meadows
• an impressive complex mosaic of habitats in the Montiaghs ASSI
• Lough Neagh and its shores have a diversity of habitats and the lough is nationally and internationally important for its wetland birds

Woodlands

Woodlands account for around 4.5% of the land cover of the LCA; four-fifths of this is broadleaved woodland principally around the shore of Lough Neagh and is wet woodland. Successive lowering of the lough has led to a sequence of vegetation types from reed beds (reed canary grass and common reed) to gradually colonising woodland. Willows tend to be concentrated in a narrow band along the lower, wetter edge of young trees, but are also intermixed with the dominant alder and birch on the landward side or in the centre of islands. Ash is common in drier parts. Ram's Island, the largest of the few Lough Neagh islands, was planted as an island retreat for Shane's Castle.

Wet woodland also occurs on the cut-over bogs, most extensively at Montiaghs Moss ASSI where alder and willow carr form part of the complex mosaic of habitats.

The only extensive example of estate planting is in Gartree Townland (Langford Lodge) where there are extensive plantations along the shore as well as to the south of Gartree House. These are mostly mixed broadleaves, including sycamore, ash and oak, with conifers. Elsewhere, there are several farms and large houses with shelterbelts and, quite commonly, orchards. Examples include Bellbrook, Ballyginniff, Moores Quay and Corbally House.

Semi-natural oak - hazel woodland with a well-developed ground flora occurs along the south bank of the Glenavy River near Leap Bridge, but there are also ash and sycamore.

Grassland and Arable

Grassland dominates the LCA accounting for almost 75% of the land cover; four-fifths of this is improved pastures. These have generally low biodiversity as a result of relatively intensive management. Some of the pastures are sown grasslands dominated by ryegrass and few other species - low biodiversity is in-built. Other grasslands have been converted to improved pastures through management. High levels of grazing or repeated cutting for silage, high inputs of fertilizers and slurry, and selective herbicides serve to reduce diversity of both flora and fauna.

Arable land, which includes land under grass re-seeding, is scattered through the LCA with some concentration in areas that are relatively well drained, as for example to the west of Crumlin, west of Glenavy and on the low hills on the east side of Portmore Lough. Arable land is often of low biodiversity interest, but can be significant for farmland birds; in this LCA song thrush, tree sparrow and yellow hammer have been recorded in areas classed as arable.

Biodiversity in areas of improved pastures and arable is often concentrated in hedgerows. Indeed, they may be the most significant wildlife habitat over much of lowland Northern Ireland, especially where there are few semi-natural habitats. Hedgerows are a refuge for many woodland and farmland plants and animals. In this LCA predominantly hawthorn hedgerows are generally well-managed, dense and treed - commonly ash. Fields are relatively large, except in wetter parts such as the Montiaghs, and there is some field amalgamation.

The soils to the south of Portmore Lough are predominantly peat, but there has been much reclamation into pasture; similarly damp flat areas near the lough and between low hills have been drained. However, the extent and success of reclamation varies so that there are pockets of wet grasslands; some fields have reverted to rushes but others are managed for hay and retain a more diverse flora and fauna (Lowland meadows). Together with damp areas in the Portmore Lough LCA, these wet grasslands are important for waders and wildfowl and for the Irish Hare.

Heaths and Bogs

There are no remaining intact bogs in the LCA; the lowland raised bog has been cut over and much reclaimed into pasture. However, there is an impressive complex mosaic of habitats in the Montiaghs ASSI (also an SAC) peat ramparts, trenches, pools and drains are interspersed with small hay fields, alder and willow carr and tall hedgerows. This diversity of habitats supports a range of plant and animal communities associated with acid bog, rich fen and swamp. Montiaghs Moss is particularly important as a site for rare plants. The drains, pools and old peat cuttings support Irish lady's-tresses, frogbit and cowbane. The area is also one of the most important in Northern Ireland for wetland invertebrates being the richest known site for both aquatic beetles and aquatic bugs. In addition, the dragonfly population is one of the most diverse in the country. The Irish damselfly is found here. The site also supports a rich terrestrial insect fauna, especially moths and butterflies, and includes the marsh fritillary butterfly. Song thrush, linnet, skylark and reed bunting have been recorded.

Both hand and mechanised peat cutting have been recorded in the southern Derryhanagan- Drumaleet part of Montiaghs Moss. There is a considerable amount of dumping, especially of builder's rubble and soil excavated from building sites.

Wetlands and Lakes

Lough Neagh ASSI, also a proposed SPA and part of a Ramsar listed site has a wide variety of habitats including submerged and floating aquatic vegetation (confined to sheltered bays and inlets), swamp, fen and fragmented wet woodland (see above). It is important nationally and internationally for its populations of wetland birds. The major threat to Lough Neagh (Eutrophic standing waters) has come from nutrient enrichment, largely as a result of the application of slurry and fertilizers to agricultural land and discharge of sewage effluent. Algal blooms and loss of oxygen have resulted in the past, with consequent deleterious effects on fish life. This may be one cause of the decline of the pollan in Lough Neagh.

Fen also occurs as part of the mosaic of habitats in Montiaghs ASSI and along parts of the lough shore. The shore also has reedbeds of reed canary grass, common reed and common spike-rush.

Several rivers flow westwards through the LCA into Lough Neagh; the Crumlin, and Glenavy Rivers and the Black Burn all have river water-crowfoot. There are also some major drains - the Navvies Drain, Selshan Drain and Tunny Cut.

Key Issues

General actions for UK and NI Priority Habitats and Priority Species are detailed in the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans.

WOODLANDS

Issue: low woodland cover of variable biodiversity value

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of demesne/parkland woodland through control of grazing and felling; by encouraging planting of saplings of the standard trees; by preventing further loss of parkland; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna)
• further study of the history of demesne and other broadleaved woodlands particularly any ancient and long-established, as a key to future management
• encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands along streams to foster regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species
• conserve wet woodlands around the shore of L. Neagh and on cut-over bogs
• encourage new woodland planting, preferably of native broadleaves, through appropriate grant schemes

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: poor biodiversity of farmland

Actions:

• maintain and improve field boundaries especially hedgerows . This may be achieved through adoption of correct cutting cycles; hedge laying and replanting where necessary; leaving saplings uncut to develop into hedgerow trees; avoidance of spraying with fertilizers, slurry, herbicides; provision of wildlife strips and conservation headlands around fields; and limitation of field amalgamation
• encourage adoption of less intensive management of pastures to allow reversion to more species-rich grassland and protect unsown areas of species-rich grassland, particularly examples of meadows traditionally managed for hay
• maintain and enhance floodplain grassland by restricting field or arterial drainage
• leave stubble over winter, rather than autumn ploughing, to increase food resources for farmland birds; spring sown cereals also beneficial to breeding birds

HEATH AND BOGS

Issue: maintain the biodiversity of remaining raised bogs of national and international importance

Actions:

·although raised bogs in this LCA are cut-over, maintain the complexity of habitats and diversity of species by for example, preventing infilling, fly-tipping, new drainage and new peat cutting

·investigate possibility of restoring raised bog habitats through appropriate water level management

WETLANDS

Issue: fens in Northern Ireland are a large proportion of the UK resource

Actions:

• protect shoreline fens and reedbeds against loss by drainage, infill and expansion of sand quarrying
• protect inland fens against loss by drainage and infill, which includes use as official refuse tips as well as sites in which to deposit building rubble and fly-tipping
• leakage of fertilizers and slurry from surrounding agricultural land should be prevented as this increases the nutrient levels and affects species composition.

Issue: Lough Neagh is an internationally important lake

Actions:

• protect water quality of lakes and rivers through nutrient management
• promote and encourage existing good farming practices so that streams, and thereby the lough, are not polluted by run-off from agricultural land or seepage from silage pits
• monitor streams in relation to expansion of rural housing and towns and associated septic tanks/sewage treatment plants; monitor streams and outlets below industrial plant

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