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Rostrevor Wood ASSI

Last updated: 5 February 2010

picture of steep sloping site at Rostrevor Wood ASSI

Site No ASSI 178
Area 16.64 (ha)
Declared Date 18/09/1997
Confirmed Date 04/02/1998
County: Down
Council(s) Newry & Mourne DC
Keywords Invertebate Assemblage
Upland Oakwood

             

               

             

               

Rostrevor Wood is a mature Oak Woodland known to be at least 250 years old and may be a remnant of the original forest which once covered the region.
picture of toothwort © John Crellin floralimages.co.ukThe dominant woodland type occurs on the upper, freely-draining slopes that are acidic in nature. The tall, dense canopy is dominated by oak with an understorey of hazel and occasional holly and a field layer of bramble, honeysuckle and bilberry.

The ground flora is typically acidic with carpets of greater wood-rush.
The lower slopes are flushed and mildly base-rich resulting in the presence of ash, and to a lesser extent goat willow and Wych elm in the canopy.
The field layer and the ground flora are typically much more diverse.
The woodland flora also includes a number of rare plants such as wood fescue, toothwort and bird's-nest orchid. A number of nationally scarce species of Lichen have also been recorded for the site including Melaspilea granitophia, a record new to Ireland. Invertebrate sampling has indicated that the site is also important for a number of hoverflies and house-flies from the order Diptera.

        

         

            

Site Related Documents

Site map 1.0Mb)Opens in New window, Citation document (.PDF 130Kb)Opens in New window and Views about Management document (.PDF 54Kb)Opens in New window.