Ballycastle Glens 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

• although occupying a small proportion of the LCA, there are significant broadleaved woodlands particularly along the main rivers and their tributaries, including priority types; many have a diverse herb flora especially of spring flowering plants
• improved pastures dominate the land cover, generally of low biodiversity, but there are patches of unsown rough grassland on steep valley sides.
• no significant heathlands, bogs or wetlands

Woodlands

Woodlands are significant in the LCA although they occupy a relatively small area. On the west side of Glenshesk, the lower part of Ballypatrick Forest is clipped by the boundary. Here the Forest is composed of many small compartments of Sitka spruce, Japanese larch, Norway spruce, western hemlock and mixed hardwoods. On the opposite side of the river, Coolaveely Wood has Japanese and European larch at the bottom and Sitka spruce in the upper part. Throughout the LCA, there are also several small private plantations, generally of conifers and dominated by Scots pine or Sitka spruce, though several are mixed conifer/broadleaved plantations.

Broadleaved woodlands are concentrated along the rivers (Tow, Glenshesk and Carey) and their steep sides, and comprise interweaving examples of wet woodland, upland oakwoods, hazel and ash-hazel woods. In addition, there are parklands and many smaller planted areas around large houses; the latter are frequently adjacent or they are alongside small areas of semi-natural wood so that together they form significant wooded areas.

The Tow River Wood ASSI is one of the best examples of base-rich woodland in Antrim. It has a diversity of woodland plant communities and a rich assemblage of woodland species. In the lower half, the wood exhibits an unbroken transition from marshland and wet woodland, with alder and willows, to mature dry woodland on the upper slopes with a high oak canopy (upland oakwood). Ash and birch are occasional but hazel is widespread. The wet woodland has water-mint, horsetails and flags in the herb layer whereas on the meander scar beneath the oak and hazel there are typically base-rich and spring flowering plants. Upland oakwood with hazel also occurs alongside a tributary stream at Broombeg and along several of the small tributaries of the Glenshesk.

Woodland along the Glenshesk itself is highly varied. In the south the woodland is open with a dominance of birch and hazel but with sessile oak on meander scars, but moving northward there are stretches of oak woodland, areas of landscaping and planting (including larch and Scots pine), and extensive hazel woodlands with some ash, sycamore, alder and willows; bird cherry is quite frequent. The herb and ground layers are species rich, especially on the steep slopes of the hazel woodland. Ransoms is abundant but the diversity includes wood anemone, primrose, wood violet, yellow pimpernel, soft shield fern and pignut. Epiphytic mosses, lichens and ferns are common. Cool Wood is a large, hazel dominated, woodland also with a rich herb layer.

Along the Carey River woodland is discontinuous and concentrated on present and abandoned meander scars. Species are indicative of widespread planting and landscaping in the past; although ash, alder and sycamore are common, there is abundant beech, wych elm, sweet chestnut and horse chestnut.

The main parklands (lowland woodland pasture and parkland) in the LCA are Magherintemple and Clare Park. Although the latter has some fine trees remaining, including a diversity of conifers, it is of low biodiversity value. At Magherintemple, there are coniferous and mixed plantations as well as a typical parkland border with beech, elm, oak, ash and sycamore - species that also occur in a more thickly wooded area near the house. This parkland appears to be of late nineteenth century origin and is of relatively low biodiversity interest.

Grassland and Arable

Grasslands account for most of the land cover at around the Northern Ireland average (c.71%). Almost all of this is improved pasture, but there are patches of acid and rough grassland. For example, the valley sides are often too steep to cultivate or to reseed and in several parts are boulder strewn. Where not occupied by woodland, these slopes may be dominated by rushy grassland where ground conditions are wet. To the southeast of the Tow River Wood ASSI, the slopes above the woodland are wet, with species-rich, acidic marshy grassland. The rare rough horsetail was recorded for the site. On better-drained slopes, bracken is invading in parts and in upper Glenshesk fields merge with heather heath.

Arable land is concentrated to the south and east of Ballycastle on the well-drained brown earth soils.

Improved pastures generally have low biodiversity as a result of relatively intensive management. Some of the pastures are sown grasslands dominated by ryegrass and few other species - low biodiversity is in-built. Other grasslands have been converted to improved pastures through management. High levels of grazing or repeated cutting for silage, high inputs of fertilizers and slurry, and selective herbicides serve to reduce diversity of both flora and fauna.

Biodiversity in areas of improved pastures and arable is often concentrated in hedgerows. Indeed, they may be the most significant wildlife habitat over much of lowland Northern Ireland, especially where there are few semi-natural habitats. Hedgerows are a refuge for many woodland and farmland plants and animals. However, in this LCA hedges are patchy in their distribution and most common on the mid-slopes on the east side of Glenshesk and on the hummocky gravels of Glentaisie. Even in these locations condition varies, with some well-grown hedges offering habitats for plants, mammals and birds, whereas in other parts hedges are gappy and indeed may be isolated shrubs. Hawthorn is the dominant hedgerow shrub, with gorse frequent; sycamore, ash and hazel are the most frequent hedgerow trees. South and east of Ballycastle, where arable and improved grass dominate, field boundaries are frequently of fences - in part a result of field amalgamation. Nevertheless linnet, song thrush and spotted flycatcher have all been recorded.

Heaths and Bogs

There is no significant peat bog in the LCA. Heaths are limited in occurrence too; small patches of upland heathland are clipped by the LCA boundary around Knocklayd and at the head of Glenshesk. Gorse has spread over some abandoned upper fields and on very steep slopes, especially on the dry glacial sands and gravel. Gorse is not usually of high biodiversity, but can increase the bird diversity.

Wetlands and Lakes

There are no significant open standing waters in the LCA and, apart form the otter, no Priority Species have been recorded for the rivers.

Coastal

There are no Priority Species or Priority Habitats recognised for the coastal zone of this LCA.

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: although occupying a small proportion of the LCA, there are significant broadleaved woodlands, particularly along the main rivers and their tributaries

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of demesne/parkland woodland through control of grazing and felling; by encouraging planting of saplings of the standard trees; by preventing further loss of parkland; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna)
• further study of the history of demesne and other broadleaved woodlands particularly any ancient and long-established (e.g. riverine and tributary woodlands), as a key to future management
• encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands along streams to foster regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species
• encourage planting of native broadleaved plantations (through appropriate grant schemes) rather than the small conifer plantations which are of poor biodiversity and landscape value.

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: poor biodiversity of farmland

Actions:

• maintain and improve field boundaries especially hedgerows . This may be achieved through adoption of correct cutting cycles; hedge laying and replanting where necessary; leaving saplings uncut to develop into hedgerow trees; avoidance of spraying with fertilizers, slurry, herbicides; provision of wildlife strips and conservation headlands around fields; and limitation of field amalgamation.
• encourage (through participation in Environmental Schemes) adoption of less intensive management of pastures to allow reversion to more species-rich grassland and protect unsown areas of species-rich grassland
• consider feasibility of measures to control spread of bracken
• leave stubble over winter, rather than autumn ploughing, to increase food resources for farmland birds; spring sown cereals are beneficial to breeding farmland birds

WETLANDS

Issue: largely unpolluted rivers

Actions:

• protect water quality of rivers through nutrient management and by reducing suspended sediments; thus
• promote and encourage existing good farming practices so that streams are not polluted by run-off from agricultural land or seepage from silage pits
• monitor rivers and streams in relation to activities (peat cutting and forestry) in their catchments but outside this LCA that could increase sediment load and deposition

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