Garvagh Farmland 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

• lowland drumlins principally in improved pasture
• damp inter-drumlin areas with rushy grasslands and cut-over bogs
• several cut-over bogs colonised by trees
• woodland generally scarce
• dense hedgerows with many hedgerow trees

Woodlands

Woodlands are sparse, occupying only 2% of the LCA, and the majority are broadleaves. Hazel woodlands are the most common with examples at Granaghan Glen, Tirkane, near Lisnamuck, and at Drumlamph. The latter is a known ancient woodland site, owned and managed by the Woodland Trust, and from present knowledge a rare feature in Northern Ireland. Hazel is usually accompanied by holly, with ash, oak and birch trees scattered through the woods. In damper parts, the woodlands grade into wet woodlands with alder and willow. Wet woodlands, carr woods of alder and willow, can also be found surrounding small lakes as at Killelagh Lough. Many of the cut-over lowland bogs have become colonised by trees, particularly birch. Upland mixed ashwoods can be found in the centre of the woods at Lisnamuck and at Fallylea where there has been recent coppicing of alder and ash.

There is only one coniferous forest in the LCA at Aghadowey, dominated by Sitka spruce.

Grassland and Arable

Grassland occupies over 80% of the LCA, the vast majority is improved pasture. However, this is of variable quality with areas of poor pastures and rough grass scattered through the LCA, especially in inter-drumlin hollows. In these hollows and where pastures have been reclaimed from, and where they are intermixed with, cut-over bog they are often infested with rushes. These damp grasslands are important for breeding waders such as lapwing, curlew and snipe.

Arable land accounts for around 7% of the LCA (but much of this is unclassified arable and includes field being reseeded to grass).

Hedgerows are the dominant form of field boundary in the LCA; they are generally dense and have many trees. Whilst there are few records of birds for this area, it may be expected that the hedges form a habitat for farmland birds, populations of which are declining.

Heaths and Bogs

Most of the former raised bogs in this LCA have been cut-over and subsequently drained and used for grazing; others have been colonised by trees. For example, the cut-over bog at Annaghavoggy now has a mosaic of fen, willow carr and birch woodland - the latter still containing some bog species such as cotton grass and heather. At Carrowmenagh there is an intact dome with typical bog species, although there is cutting and reclamation around the edge. Lapwing, curlew and snipe, have been recorded as breeding at this site. With so little intact bog in the LCA, it is important that this site should be retained. Its present status should be monitored, particularly in relation to cutting, reclamation and effects on the wetness of the bog. Sites that have been colonised by trees should be left to develop into woodland; fly-tipping, and use for building sites should be prevented.

Wetlands and Lakes

Standing open water is limited to a few small lakes; Killelagh Lough has significance to biodiversity because it has varied habitats. These include emergent reeds and sedges and bogbean; willow carr and alder woodland; and wet marsh with bog mosses and rushes. The Aghadowey and Macosquin rivers are crowfoot rivers.

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: low broadleaf woodland cover of variable biodiversity value, including NI Priority wet woodlands and upland mixed ashwoods

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of existing broadleaved woodlands e.g. Drumlamph, by discouraging felling; by preventing loss of broadleaved woodlands; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna); through active coppicing to encourage development of a richer ground flora
• encourage removal of invasive species, plant new oaks in gaps and plant trees to join existing treed areas; encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands to foster herb layer and regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species
• 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; monitor sites broadleaved woodlands for damage
• encourage planting of broadleaved woodlands through appropriate grant schemes rather than the conifer plantations and shelterbelts that are of poor biodiversity and landscape value; ensure that hazel scrub is not cleared; ensure conservation of wet woodlands - that they are not lost through drainage, reclamation, landfill or dumping/tipping

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: poor biodiversity of improved pastures; breeding waders including the NI Priority Species curlew inhabit this LCA's damp grasslands

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
• 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: raised bogs, which are of national and international importance, have been cut-over, drained and grazed. This LCA contains breeding waders including NI Priority Species curlew.

Actions:

• although former raised bogs have been cut-over in the past or have been greatly affected by drainage and intensive grazing regimes, further damage from infilling, fly-tipping, fires, new drainage and mechanised peat cutting should be prevented - applies particularly to intact bogs but 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 bogs

WETLANDS AND LAKES

Issue: this LCA contains small lakes of variable biodiversity value and crowfoot rivers, a NI Priority Habitat

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 where necessary
• promote and encourage existing good farming practices following Countryside Management guidelines, so that rivers are not polluted by releases from silage effluent, herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers or sheep dip
• monitor streams in relation to peat cutting (sediment load and deposition) - important for salmon that nursery and spawning beds are clear; monitor streams in relation to expansion of rural/urban housing and associated septic tanks/sewage treatment plants; recognise that monitoring of streams in relation to forestry and other operations upstream may be important

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