Moyle 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

• woodlands occupy c. 3% of the land; less than Northern Ireland average (c. 5%)
• significant broadleaved woods, including Craigagh Wood and hazel and hazel/ash woods along glen sides and along rivers; some may be ancient or long-established; diverse flora with good epiphytic communities
• grasslands account for about 75% of the land cover, slightly more than the average for Northern Ireland (c. 71%); around three-fifths is improved pasture generally of low biodiversity, but records of Priority Species of birds
• damp lowland meadows with records of breeding waders
• unimproved and semi-natural grasslands on glen sides being encroached by bracken to the detriment of biodiversity
• little heath or bog
• limited examples of coastal Priority Habitats

Woodlands

Woodlands occupy about 3% of the land cover almost equally divided between coniferous and mixed/broadleaved woodlands. Although there are several small (1 ha or less) private coniferous plantations scattered through the LCA, coniferous forest is restricted to the extreme southern tip of the LCA - a portion of Glenariff Forest. The outer parts of this portion are dominated by Sitka spruce, but the centre has many small compartments with Norway spruce, Japanese larch and mixed hardwoods. The forest also includes part of Glenariff NNR; here, trees were planted to enhance the native woodland of oak, hazel, ash and willow and make the area more attractive to visitors. The damp conditions are ideal for ferns, mosses and liverworts and several rare species grow in the damp, shady conditions.

One of the largest blocks of woodland in the LCA is Craigagh Wood (a National Trust site). Most of the present woodland is planted and it has a wide diversity of trees; oaks are the most common followed by beech and other broadleaves include wych elm and sweet chestnut as well as ash, sycamore and hazel. There are also several conifers including Sitka spruce, larch and Scots pine. The woodland may have been planted over an ancient one and there are a number of locally rare species including wood millet, wood melick, and Tunbridge filmy fern; the latter is confined in Antrim to this site. The herb layer is relatively sparse, but the moss, liverwort, fern and lichen flora is rich and includes species uncommon in Northern Ireland.

Planted woodland nearby includes that at Glendun viaduct, dominated by beech but with elm, Scots pine and sycamore as well as some birch and ash. The riverine woodland has also been 'improved' so that the alder, willow, ash and sycamore also have larch, beech and elm.

Drumfresky Wood is also planted, but at the higher altitudes further up Glendun the trees have not survived so well. Many of the same tree species occur, but there are wetter areas in which alder dominates. The ground flora is predominantly grassy and the wood is grazed.

Although much of the woodland in the LCA is planted, especially in the north, there are no extensive parklands remaining. Mill Town, Cushendun and Glenville House, Cushendall are the most extensive, each at about 3.5 ha. Beech predominates at both sites but there is a wide range of other species. Their value is enhanced by proximity to other, smaller plantings in large gardens.

In contrast, semi-natural woodland is extensive in the LCA, particularly hazel and hazel-ash woodlands on the glen sides. For example, on the south facing slopes above Glendun there are extensive hazel woods; birch and mountain ash are frequent, especially on the less base-rich soils, and oak and ash are occasional. Flushed patches are also common. Despite grazing, the varied soils produce a diverse herb flora where bracken has not invaded. Similar hazel woodlands occur in all the glens as well as along the northern steep slopes of the Garron Plateau in the southwest of the LCA.

Examples of mixed upland ashwoods include those along the Ballyemon River where ash is accompanied by hazel and some planted trees (Scots pine and beech included) that were part of nineteenth century landscaping. As with many examples, there are wetter patches with alder and willows. The herb layer is very diverse containing species of the base-rich drier soils and of the damper areas. The woods are rich in epiphytic mosses, lichens and ferns. Other woods in which ash is dominant or where it forms hazel-ash woods are common on the hillsides especially where there are incised streams - examples include the Black Burn in Glenariff and the Clady Burn in Glendun.

Grassland and Arable

There is almost no arable in the LCA. Grasslands account for about 75% of the land cover, slightly more than the average for Northern Ireland (c. 71%). Of this, around three-fifths is improved pasture that shows a clear spatial distribution; it is confined to the broader lower parts of the glens whereas rough grazing is predominantly on the steep, often rocky slopes of the upper glens. On the uppermost slopes where soils become peaty, acid grasses, sedges and rushes dominate the rough grasslands. These are usually of low biodiversity. Many of the fields on the upper slopes have been abandoned and bracken has encroached producing another habitat of low biodiversity. However, in parts there are both dry and wet species-rich fields between hazel woodland and scrub.

Within the general area of improved pastures there are some fields that have not been improved; for example in flatter parts of the lower glens, particularly Glenariff, where field drainage has not been maintained and there has been reversion to rush dominated swards. Breeding waders, curlew, lapwing and snipe, have been recorded in these damp grasslands. There are also some fields where management remains traditional - relatively low inputs of farmyard manure and cutting for hay rather than silage. In these lowland meadows plant species diversity is greater, particularly where there are both damp and dry areas

Generally, however, the area of improved pastures has 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, 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. In this LCA there are several smaller landscape elements with different types of field boundaries. Along the lower glens and coast, fields tend to be larger and surrounded by fences with discontinuous or remnant scrubby hedges. On the middle slopes the 'ladder fields' have mixed boundaries of hedges and walls, but are poorly maintained. The hawthorn and gorse hedges are uncut and gappy but there are frequent trees, most often of ash and, reflecting the wetness of some slopes, alder and willow are common. The hedgerow banks of these ladder fields are frequently a refuge for spring flowering plants from encroaching bracken in abandoned fields.

Despite the dominance of improved grazing in the broader lower parts of the glens, many of the priority birds have been recorded - bullfinch, linnet, skylark, song thrush, spotted fly-catcher, yellowhammer and reed bunting.

Heaths and Bogs

Peat bog occurs only in the extreme north of the LCA where the boundary clips part of the blanket bog on Cushleake Mountain South. Much of this has been cut over and/or burned. Common heather is dominant, but there are also patches of acid grassland intermixed. The Irish Hare has been recorded in this area. Apart from small patches of heather on the plateau summit that have been clipped into the LCA, and some on Cross Slieve, heath is largely confined to patches of gorse.

Wetlands and Lakes

There are no significant wetlands or lakes in the LCA. Although there are several rivers and many tributary streams, the otter is the only Priority Species recorded.

Coastal

Much of the coastline is composed of rock platform and boulders (backed by maritime cliff and slopes) in which both fauna and flora are generally of good diversity. Very small patches of coastal saltmarsh occur at Port Vinegar and coastal sand dunes at Cushendun and Waterfoot where the shores are of barren sand. (There is some doubt whether the 'dunes' at Cushendun are in fact dunes or some other feature with san covering the seaward face.) The sand dunes at Waterfoot are degraded as a result of both natural processes and recreational pressures.

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: relatively low woodland cover overall, but significant woods, including Craigagh

Wood and hazel and hazel-ash woods

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of remaining 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, as a key to future management - applies especially to Craigagh Wood, Drumfresky Wood and hillside and riverine woods.
• encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands to foster regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species.
• consider expansion of coppicing of hazel woodlands to promote tree growth and diversity of herb layers.
• 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; 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, especially damp lowland meadows and hillside grasslands
• maintain and enhance these damp floodplain grasslands by restricting field or arterial drainage
• monitor expansion and attempt reduction of bracken cover on glen sides.

HEATH AND BOGS

Issue: loss of upland heathland and decline in its biodiversity

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
• practice moorland burning in line with guidance

WETLANDS

Issue: relatively unpolluted rivers that may have important Priority Species and are important for fish

Actions:

• protect water quality of rivers through nutrient management and by ensuring suspended sediments from peat cutting/forestry operations further upstream (outside this LCA) do not affect the rivers
• promote and encourage existing good farming practices so that streams are not polluted by run-off from agricultural land or seepage from silage pits

COASTAL

Issue: damage and decline of sand dunes

Actions:

• restrict/zone recreational activities to prevent damage to vegetation cover by trampling
• monitor removal of sand from shore and its effects
• encourage further research into the origins of coastal features at Cushendun as an aid for future management.

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