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 CharacteristicsWoodland is scarce in the LCA, accounting for less than 1% of the land cover, and occurs as small patches. There are no extensive coniferous forests, although there has been recent planting along the edge of the cut-over bog at Sheetrim House. There are also several small plantations (c. 0.5 ha); some are recent and often of Sitka spruce, but others are part of nineteenth century 'landscaping', associated with mounds and predominantly of Scots pine and larch. Occasional broadleaf plantations occur, as along the valley near Silverbridge where beech is dominant and accompanied by ash, oak, and elm together with hazel, birch and rowan. Such plantations may be associated with parklands (Lowland woodland pasture and parkland) although several of these have been lost and of those that remain, many are rundown; felling, pollarding and piece-meal coppicing are evident. An exception is Creggan Poet's Glen, centred on the Rectory and walled garden that has recently undergone restoration.
Semi-natural woodland is mainly of two types, wet woodland and hazel woods. Wet woodland is common in areas of fen (see below) and is predominantly of willow and alder carr; examples include Cappagh Lough and St Peter's Lough. Hazel woodland occurs as isolated patches on hillsides or along valley sides; examples include those at the Dorsy Enclosure. They are often almost completely hazel, but there are occasional ash, sycamore, holly and rowan.
Grassland and ArableGrassland accounts for nearly 90% of the land cover of the LCA, more than four-fifths of which is improved pastures. Although there is variation in intensity of management, improved pastures generally tend to have low biodiversity as does arable land. Land classed as arable, which includes grass re-seeding, is confined mainly to the southeast and north of the LCA.
Lowland pastures managed at low intensity are relatively rare in Northern Ireland, especially in the east, but there are several examples in this LCA. One is Tullyard ASSI. These hay meadows (Lowland meadows) are on generally freely draining soils on a steep slope, but minor variations in drainage and the traditional management practices have brought about a great diversity in species composition both of grasses and herbs. These grasslands provide valuable feeding and roosting sites for a range of animals, including birds and invertebrates. Several species of butterflies, including meadow brown, have been recorded at the site. Similar fields of species rich dry grassland, also managed for hay, are located east of Ross Lough. Species rich wet grasslands occur alongside some fens, near to loughs and in flat river valleys; examples include fields around Ross Lough and in the Cully Water and Fane River valleys.
Rough grassland occurs mainly in two situations. First, around fens or where fens have been drained and pastures have reverted. These grasslands are often rushy and species poor, but can also merge with the fens and more species-diverse flushed areas. They tend to form part of a mosaic of habitats that together support a diversity of plants, animals, birds, including waders, and invertebrates (see under Wetlands below). The second location is on rocky or thin soils; here rough grassland is inter-mixed with bracken and gorse scrub and small pockets of cut-over bog. Gorse can attract notable bird species, typically linnet, chough, stonechat and whinchat.
Wetlands and LakesFens are frequent in this LCA and often extensive, especially in the west where they occur in broader flat areas between drumlins and in the wide, flat-floored valleys of the southeast. Fens are probably of greatest importance to the biodiversity of the LCA. Most have a past history of cutting for fuel peat and draining for agriculture. As a result, height, water levels and acidity/alkalinity vary across the sites giving rise to diverse habitats and complicated mosaics of plant communities. Fens may therefore have parts dominated by bottle-sedge and bog-bean association; by reed canary grass; by lesser tussock sedge; or by soft rush and meadowsweet. Patches of acid peat with heather and acid grasses or with cotton sedge are found on the remnants of the former bogs. Cutting has also left scattered small pools. The edges of fens may merge into wet rushy grassland grazed by cattle. Fens around lough margins may have common reed or reed canary grass. Where nutrient enrichment has taken place, reedmace may dominate; yet other areas may be colonised by willow and alder to form wet woodland.
This diversity of habitats and plant species has led to diversity of invertebrates; thus there are many species of dragonflies and damselflies, including the rare Irish damselfly, recorded for example at Drumlougher Lough ASSI and butterflies, including the marsh fritillary.
Most of the surveyed lakes in the LCA are mesotrophic lakes although Lurgan Lough Upper is an example of eutrophic standing waters. Mesotrophic lakes are characterised by having a middle level of nutrients between nutrient poor (oligotrophic) and nutrient rich (eutrophic). They have potentially the highest macrophyte diversity of any lake type. Furthermore, relative to other lake types, they contain a higher proportion of nationally scarce and rare aquatic plants. This is an increasingly rare type of lake in Northern Ireland because the nutrient status of many is being increased through input of nutrient-rich water from agricultural land. The occurrence of such lakes in the LCA is therefore important to the biodiversity of the LCA and Northern Ireland. The biodiversity is related not only to the lakes themselves but also to their surroundings because they form part of the diverse habitats found at sites. For example at Drumlougher Lough ASSI there are fen types, bog remnants and wet grasslands in addition to the open water and lough edge communities. Sites therefore have Priority Species associated with surrounding habitats as well as the loughs themselves.
Key IssuesGeneral actions for UK and NI Priority Habitats and Priority Species are detailed in the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans.
WOODLANDSIssue: this LCA contains the NI Priority Habitats Lowland woodland pasture and parkland and wet woodland although those that remain face a number of threats
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Issue: improved grasslands and arable of low biodiversity value are interspersed with species-rich examples of the NI Priority Habitat lowland meadows
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Issue: this LCA is characterised by NI Priority Habitat fens and mesotrophic lakes of high biodiversity value
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