Drumlea and Mullan Woods ASSI

Drumlea & Mullan Woods is the 3rd largest intact, semi-natural broad-leaved woodland in the Sperrins and is one of the largest representative examples of a mature calcifugous oak woodland in Northern Ireland. Such semi-natural woodland is typical of more extensive habitats prior to clear-felling in the 17th and 18th centuries, and is now scarce in Northern Ireland.

The woodland is also notable for the diversity and abundance of bryophyte and lichen species present, particularly calcifugous bryophytes which typify those associated with an acidic oak woodland. The site is ranked within the top 5% of woodlands surveyed for bryophytes and lichens within the Sperrins Mountains.
The woodland is composed entirely of native trees with a variable structure and a well defined gradient from open, mature and over-mature canopy in the west, to a young and dense canopy in the east. The site is dominated by sessile oak (60%) and downy birch (20%) with occasional pedunculate oak and rowan, and localised grey willow and alder in wetter areas. The understorey is poorly developed and the major ground cover is composed of a diverse bryophyte and grass community characteristic of a grazed calcifugous woodland.
The following mammals are known to occur within the woodland; badger, feral goat, field mouse, fox, Irish hare, otter, Pigmy shrew, mink, brown rat and rabbit.

The following butterflies have been observed within the woodland; green-viened white, orange tip and speckled wood.

The following birds have been identified within the woodland; sparrowhawk, buzzard (also known to breed at Drumlea Wood), kestrel, snipe, woodcock, collard dove, woodpigeon, cuckoo, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, wren, robin, fieldfare, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, sedge warbler, wood warbler, chiffchaff, willow warbler, goldcrest, long-tailed tit, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, tree creeper, jay, magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, raven, starling, chaffinch, greenfinch and redpoll. Grey heron, mallard, moorhen, grey wagtail and dipper were observed at the Owenkillew River adjacent to the site.

Site Related Documents

Site map (.PDF 612Kb), Citation documents (.PDF 78Kb) and Views about Management document (.PDF 60Kb).