Divis Summits 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

• Southernmost part of Antrim plateau summits
• Hills are scattered with old quarry sites
• LCA is dominated by extensive areas of rough grassland and heath
• Broadleaved woodland is scarce and consists mainly of small scattered areas of streamside scrub

Woodlands

Broadleaved woodlands are scarce in this LCA comprising just over 1% and mainly consist of small scattered areas of stream side hazel scrub woodland. One such area is part of Leathemstown ASSI and comprises hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, ash, gorse and the rare shady horsetail. Coniferous woodland is in greater abundance. There has been new planting of Sitka spruce north of White Hill.

Grassland and Arable

Grassland is the dominant land cover in this LCA. Improved grassland is found scattered throughout the area. Rough grassland is found extensively in the centre and north of this LCA around Black Mountain, Divis and Standing Stone Hill, with smaller areas around Cave Hill and McIlwhans. Several of the NI priority species have been recorded on Black Mountain and Divis such as red grouse, juniper, moschatel and pink meadow cap. On Cavehill summit rare species such as smooth cats ear and Irish lady's tresses have been recorded. Cavehill is also an important habitat for large birds of prey such as owls, kestrels and sparrowhawks. The wall brown butterfly was also recorded here in 1978.

Marginal agricultural grassland is fairly scattered throughout this LCA with the largest areas being located at Brown Moss and Leathemstown. Leathemstown ASSI is an area of predominantly species-rich mesotrophic grassland with such species as common bent, crested dog's tail and red fescue with associated small areas of wetland and scrub. Particular species of note include the greater butterfly orchid. This area is particularly important for butterflies such as the common blue, dark green fritillary, small heath, meadow brown painted lady and clouded yellow.

Areas of shrub heath (upland heathland) are found largely around the summits of Slievenacloy, Black Mountain, Divis and McIlwhans with other smaller scattered areas. Slievenacloy is a large area of species-rich unimproved wet grassland with a wide variety of plant communities included. This site is also an important breeding area for the marsh fritillary butterfly.

Fly-tipping is a problem around the Belfast Hills. Most of the hedges in the LCA are poorly managed; many have become gappy and overgrown. In addition to their landscape value, hedgerows are important for butterflies, moths, farmland birds and plants - especially in the poorer pasture areas where herbicides and pesticides are not used extensively.

Blanket Bog

An area of thin hagged peat is located on the summit of Divis Mountain with thin eroded peat continuing northwards towards Wolf Hill.

Wetlands

There are no extensive areas of wetland in this LCA. There is one lake, Boghill Dam located in the north of the LCA which is an important site for breeding waders such as snipe and at which otter have been recorded. Rivers include the upper reaches of Flush River, Forth River, Stoneyford River, Rushyhill River and the Crumlin River, which is a crowfoot river. Fly tipping and quarrying are a threat to the water quality of rivers and streams in this area. Threats to fish from particulate pollution are high both from tipping sources and from erosion material from surrounding areas.

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: scarcity of broadleaved woodlands, however there are scattered areas of streamside scrub

Actions:

• enhance biodiversity through measures to improve and extend woodland cover such as The Woodland Grant Scheme or The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme; management plans should be directed toward the survival of existing woodland, through natural regrowth or planting of native broadleaf species; farmers and landowners could be encouraged to plant field corners or set-aside fields
• enhance the biodiversity value of existing wooded areas by discouraging any further felling or pollarding; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna); ensure that hazel scrub is not cleared
• encourage control of grazing to encourage herb layer and regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species; removal of invasive species could increase the diversity of ground flora, especially where the canopy species are not beech

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: improved grassland of low biodiversity value, accompanied by rough grassland in the centre and north of this LCA

Actions:

• encourage (through participation in Environmental Schemes) adoption/continuance of less intensive management of pastures to allow reversion to/continuance of more species-rich grassland; protect species-rich mesotrophic grassland at Slievenacloy; manage grazing levels to ensure that important grassland areas are not encroached by scrub vegetation or experience a fall in species richness due to overgrazing
• maintain and enhance species-rich unimproved wet grassland by where, possible, restricting field or arterial drainage; discourage fly-tipping and remove offending material
• 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 through a move to organic farming; provision of wildlife strips and conservation headlands around fields; and limitation of field amalgamation
• ensure that further clearance of boulders does not occur on pastoral or arable land

HEATHS AND BOGS

Issue: the NI Priority Habitat upland heathland occurs around the summits of Slievenacloy, Black Mountain, Divis and McIlwhans

Actions:

• promote membership of ESA or other environmental schemes through consultation with farmers and thereby
• control grazing intensity on existing heathland to encourage development of heathland and of heather of different ages
• discourage 'reclamation' to pasture fields around heathland margins
• discourage afforestation

Issue: areas of peat extend from Divis Mountain towards Wolf Hill

Action:

• maintain the integrity of existing peat bogs by for example, preventing infilling, fly-tipping, fires, new drainage, encroachment by trees and mechanised peat cutting - applies particularly to intact bogs but cut-over bogs can provide important habitats for birds and invertebrates
• consider restoration of bog habitats through appropriate water level management, removal of individual colonising trees and phasing out peat cutting - applies particularly to formerly intact bogs affected by recent mechanical cutting
• prevent new forest planting on peat bogs, especially those that could be restored to active growth
• monitor use of cut-over peat bogs to ensure that important micro-habitats are not lost, that the large tracts of land required by predator birds are not broken up by planting and other uses, and that the needs of over-wintering and breeding wetland birds are met

WETLANDS AND LAKES

Issue: Boghill Dam is an important site for breeding waders; rivers in this LCA are under threat from fly-tipping, quarrying and pollution

Actions:

• promote and encourage adoption of Countryside Management guidelines so that neither Boghill Dam nor rivers are polluted by releases from silage effluent, herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers or sheep dip; ensure that eutrophication does not occur as a result of nutrient-rich surface waters from surrounding farmland
• discourage fly-tipping and remove offending material
• monitor streams in relation to expansion of rural/urban housing and associated septic tanks/sewage treatment plants
• recognise that continued monitoring of streams in relation to particulate pollution from quarrying and tipping is required
• monitor effects of recreation, including fishing, on shoreline communities (reedbeds, fens etc.

Click here to return to the Northern Ireland LCA Map