Cashel Loughs ASSI
| Site No | ASSI 189 |
|---|---|
| Area | 34.21 (ha) |
| Declared Date | 15/12/1998 |
| Confirmed Date | 07/07/1999 |
| County | Armagh |
| Council(s) | Newry & Mourne DC |
| Keywords | Fen, Invertebrate Assemblage |
Cashel Loughs is an extensive area of semi-natural vegetation in an ice-scoured rock basin. It takes in a wide range of habitats including dry heath, acid grassland, scrub and woodland. 
The wetlands are of particular importance, with a range of communities including the open waters of the three loughs in addition to adjoining fen, cut-over bog, wet heath and rush pasture. The area contains a number of vascular plants with a restricted distribution in the British isles, including marsh St. John's-wort, western gorse and a number of notable mosses.
The diversity of wetland habitats supports a rich invertebrate community including 30 species of water beetle, 15 species of spider and 10 species of ground beetle. In addition to its overall diversity, the site contains a number of notable species including the rove beetle Stenus nitens, the water beetle Laccornis oblongus and four species of spider.
Site Related Documents
Site Map (.PDF 1,134Kb)
, Citation document (.PDF 139Kb) and Views about Management document (.PDF 70Kb).
