Lowland Heath

 

Lowland heath is characterised by the presence of dwarf shrubs such as heather, bell heather and western gorse which can form a beautiful carpet of purple and yellow.
Lowland heath is found below the upper limit of agricultural enclosure, generally below 300m and supports a range of flora and fauna not found on upland heath.
Western gorse is the characteristic species of lowland heath (.PDF 78.06Kb).
This species is related to common gorse, or 'whins', but it is shorter and more spreading in growth. It has yellow flowers similar to common gorse and its spines are just as prickly!
Lowland heath can be classified as either wet heath or dry heath, dependent on local environmental conditions.

Read the JNCC newsletter A Purple Perspective (.PDF 330Kb)

The UK Lowland Heathland Lead Co-ordination Network is seeking feedback on the content of the Lowland Heathland Newsletter. Any comments should be forwarded to Suzanne Perry at Suzanne.Perry@naturalengland.org.uk

Wildlife

Important invertebrates associated with lowland heath in the Mourne Mountains include the Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly and certain species of water beetles, typically in flushes associated with the wet heath.
Dry heath is dominated by bell heather, heather (also known as ling) and western gorse. These dwarf shrubs are abundant where the dry heath is in good condition.
Wet heath is generally more widespread throughout the rest of Northern Ireland.
It is dominated by a mixture of heather, cross-leaved heath and purple moor-grass. In flushes around the lower slopes of the Mournes, black bog-rush is locally important in these lowland wet heath communities.
High quality lowland heaths are usually diverse in structure and have a shrub layer of varying heights and structure which represent different stages of shrub growth.
Other habitats such as scattered scrub, bracken, gorse, flushes, mires and pockets of bare ground often occur adjacent to lowland heath.

 
 
  Distribution

Within Northern Ireland, lowland heathland is generally fragmented and restricted in its occurrence. It is largely confined to the lower slopes of the Mourne Mountains and the Ring of Gullion, Rathlin Island and narrow coastal strips in Counties Antrim and Down. Small areas of heath are associated with some fens in Counties Down and Armagh.
On Rathlin Island and other coastal sites, dry heaths tend to be more extensive than wet heaths and spring squill is a typical component of these lowland maritime heaths.

Areas to Visit

Bloody Bridge near Newcastle, Silent Valley and Murlough National Nature Reserve.