Upper Moyola Valley Biodiversity Profile

 

In the following account of this LCA it should be noted that for consistency, the biodiversity section follows the standard order for all LCAs even though some of the communities discussed later may have more importance for biodiversity than those discussed earlier

Key Characteristics

• the Upper Moyola and the Douglas River join in the centre of the LCA to flow through an undulating lowland
• this lowland is bordered on the north, west and south by steep slopes which are cut by incised streams
• woodlands are a major contribution to the biodiversity; many, particularly in the southwest and northwest, are located along the steep, incised streams
• pasture dominates the centre changing to poor quality pasture and semi-natural grassland on the steep boundary slopes

Woodlands

Woodland is a major component of the biodiversity of this LCA; it occupies around 4% of the area. The majority is broadleaf woodland and most is semi-natural. Many of the woodlands are composed of mixed broadleaves, but the species composition of others is varied depending on site conditions. Upland mixed ashwoods are common, for example along sections of the Moyola, along the White Water and several other incised streams of the steep slopes on the northern, western and southern borders of the LCA. Ash may be dominant, but oak, hazel and birch are often inter-mixed. Additionally, there are small stands within the woods where hazel may be dominant or where willow and alder dominate; this variation depending on the management history and on wetness of the soil. The density and richness of the understorey and herb layer depend also on the site conditions, including the intensity of grazing. Hazel and holly are common constituents of the understorey. Bluebell and other spring flowering plants may dominate the herb layer where grazing is light, whereas heavily grazed areas may have grasses or very little plant cover.

Oak is a common constituent of many woodlands in the LCA such as along the Moyola and Altagoan Rivers, but there are sites where it is dominant and forms Upland oakwood patches within woodlands. For example at Glenviggan, on steeper slopes at Nutgrove and the northern part of Coolnasilagh woodland is dominated by oak and ash. The understorey is commonly of hazel.

Many of the stream-side woodlands are of old hazel, as at the Altmore Burn, at Carnamoney, and Coolnasilagh. Ash and birch often emerge through the hazel canopy although at Drumderg the taller trees are oak. Many of the hazel woodlands give the appearance of coppice, but there has been no research into their management history.

Wet woodlands, of alder and willow, also occur as frequent patches within woodlands; more substantial areas occur at Labby and at Nutgrove.

Modern plantation woodlands are most evident at Derrynoyd Wood; this is mainly of oak with a few beech, although there are some conifer plantings. In the south west and northwest, a few small conifer plantations, generally of Sitka spruce, are located on the steep hillsides.

The total area of woodlands in the LCA is not large, but they are frequent, of varied composition, and include several of the Northern Ireland Priority Habitats. It is essential for the landscape character of the LCA and for its biodiversity that woodlands should be retained. The woodlands have excellent assemblages of mosses, lichens and ferns growing on both living and fallen trees.

Grassland and Arable

Pastures occupy about 70% of the LCA and arable almost 5%. Even in the undulating central lowland, pastures are of variable quality with the poorer pastures in damper, flatter areas, often being recolonised by rushes. The better pastures are found on the slightly raised parts, although almost all pastures occupy soils of poor drainage. Field drainage and reseeding are common, so that the biodiversity is poor. There is also a transition from good pastures, through poorer pastures to acid grassland on the boundary slopes of the LCA, especially in the south. Arable land is largely confined to better drained soils south and southeast of Draperstown and west of Tobermore.

Fields are generally small and bounded by hedgerows with a rich diversity of trees, including oak, ash, birch and rowan; shrubs include hawthorn, holly and whin. They also have many spring flowering plants at their base. Hedgerows are generally overgrown and many have become gappy.

Heaths and Bogs

There is very little peat bog in this LCA. There are no raised bogs and blanket peat is confined to the extreme southwest and northwest where the LCA border clips the upper slopes. The peat is thin and indeed is intermixed with humic gleys; all the peat has been cut over in the past, but there is also present cutting both by hand and compact harvester. The remaining peat is currently of limited biodiversity value but may benefit from regeneration efforts.

Wetlands and Lakes

There are no large loughs in the LCA. The Moyola River is a crowfoot river, a Northern Ireland Priority Habitat. The otter is recorded along many of the streams, many of which are salmonid. Timber extraction can lead to particulate pollution and acidification of rivers, but most of the rivers flowing through or alongside forests in and around this LCA do not drain into the Moyola catchment (the Altalacky river is an exception).

Key Issues

General actions for UK and NI Priority Habitats and Priority Species are detailed in the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans.

WOODLANDS

Issue: woodland cover is low in this LCA, however the majority is broadleaved woodland of significant biodiversity value, including NI Priority Habitats upland mixed ashwoods, upland oakwood and wet woodlands

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of broadleaved woodlands by discouraging felling; by preventing loss; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna); existing communities of mosses, lichens and ferns should be preserved and allowed to extend; encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands to foster herb layer and regeneration
• further study of the history and ecology of broadleaved woodlands within the LCA, particularly any ancient and long-established, as a key to future management; research the management history of hazel woodlands for evidence of coppicing etc.
• encourage planting of broadleaved woodlands through appropriate grant schemes rather than conifer plantations and shelterbelts that are of poor biodiversity and landscape value; ensure that hazel scrub is not cleared; encourage replanting of canopy species; monitor sites for invasion of conifers, beech and sycamore and remove any saplings but retain mature trees; resist the planting of new conifer plantations which contribute little to biodiversity
• ensure conservation of wet woodlands - that they are not lost through drainage, reclamation, landfill or dumping/tipping; discourage/prevent field and arterial drainage near to wet woodlands; prevent reclamation of areas adjacent to wet woodlands for agriculture or building

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: poor biodiversity of improved pastures as a result of relatively intensive management practices such as field drainage and reseeding

Actions:

• maintain and improve field boundaries, especially hedgerows where they occur through adoption of correct cutting cycles; hedge laying and replanting where necessary; leave saplings uncut to develop into hedgerow trees; avoidance of spraying with fertilisers, slurry, herbicides; provision of wildlife strips and conservation headlands around fields; and limitation of field amalgamation
• encourage (through participation in Environmental Schemes adoption/continuance of less intensive management of pastures to allow reversion to/continuance of more species-rich grassland and protect unsown areas of grassland including dry, calcareous grassland
• maintain and enhance damp grassland by where, possible, restricting field or arterial drainage
• leave stubble over winter, rather than autumn ploughing to increase food resources for farmland birds; spring-sown cereals are beneficial to farmland birds

HEATHS AND BOGS

Issue: blanket bogs have been degraded though extraction but appropriate management may promote regeneration

Actions:

• maintain the integrity of remaining blanket bogs by for example, preventing infilling, fly-tipping, fires, new drainage and mechanised peat cutting - cut-over bogs can provide important habitats for birds and invertebrates
• consider restoration of blanket bog habitats through appropriate water level management, removal of individual colonising trees and phasing out peat cutting - applies particularly to any areas of recent mechanical cutting
• prevent new forest planting on blanket bog

WETLANDS AND LAKES

Issue: the Moyola River is a NI Priority Habitat crowfoot river; many of the LCAs rivers are salmonid and support the NI Priority Species otter.

Actions:

• protect the water quality of rivers through nutrient management and by reducing suspended sediments; prevent the release of particles released through peat cutting or forestry operations; install sediment traps at large extraction sites
• monitor the Altalacky River in relation to peat cutting (sediment load and deposition) - it is important for salmon that nursery and spawning beds are clear;
• monitor Altalacky River in relation to expansion of rural/urban housing and associated septic tanks/sewage treatment plants; recognise that monitoring of streams may also be important in relation to forestry and other operations upstream
• promote and encourage existing good farming practices so that rivers are not polluted by releases from silage effluent, herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers or sheep dip

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