Glenarm Woods ASSI Part 2

Glenarm Woods Part 2 has been declared an ASSI because of its wood pasture habitat and associated species. The site is part of the Glenarm demesne, which can be traced back to the 17^th century.

Wood pasture is a type of woodland which has a very open structure due to historic grazing practices. It is generally characterised by old, open-grown trees and shrubs which have significant amounts of standing and fallen dead wood. These old open-grown trees provide a specialist habitat for rare and uncommon species of invertebrates, lichens and fungi.

A wide variety of trees and shrubs are present in the wood pasture at Glenarm Woods Part 2, with many veteran and ancient trees. Ancient trees usually have large girths, hollow trunks, large amounts of dead wood and often have a characteristic “stag headed” appearance due to their upper canopy dying back. Younger trees which have some of the characteristics of ancient trees are called veteran trees.  Oak is the dominant tree species with Alder, Hawthorn, Ash and Willow.  Multi-stemmed Oak trees are a feature of the site, as a result of past management practices.

Further diversity is provided through areas of wet grassland with species such as Purple Moor-grass, Crested Dog’s-tail, Sharp-flowered Rush, Meadowsweet, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Vetchling, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Carnation Sedge and Glaucous Sedge. The moss species within the wet grassland include Glittering Wood-moss, Neat Feather-moss and Pointed Spear-moss.  Where the tree canopy is denser, a woodland flora has developed with typical species such as Common Dog-violet, Wood Anemone, Bluebell, Primrose and Early-purple Orchid.   

The parkland trees and shrubs support a high quality invertebrate fauna. These include a number of rare beetles which breed in bracket fungi, a red and black click beetle and several species of longhorn beetles. Rare flies recorded on the site include an attractive black and orange cranefly, which breeds in decaying wood and the black-fringed moss-snipefly. Other important invertebrates include barkflies which are found on the lichens covering the trees.

The trees in the wood pasture are very important for lichens, including many rare and scarce species. It is the only known site in Northern Ireland for four species of lichen. It is also one of the best sites in Ireland for lichens which are associated with dry tree bark.  

The parkland trees and shrubs also support a variety of bracket fungi which cause decay in trees. Decay is part of the natural aging process of a tree and eventually creates hollow cavities, which in turn provide habitat for a wide range of animals.  Bracket fungi recorded on the trees at Glenarm Woods Part 2 include Beefsteak Fungus, Chicken of the Woods, Southern Bracket and Oak Bracket. There are also records for a number of rare fungi including Silky Rosegill, Brown Brain and Fragile Amanita.

Correct management is essential for special places like Glenarm Woods Part 2 to ensure the survival of the area’s rich range of plants and animals. Traditional agricultural practices will ensure the survival of the wood pasture habitat and associated species.

Site Related Documents

Site map (.PDF 1.87Mb) and Citation and Views about Management document (.PDF 300Kb)