Island Magee 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

• predominantly pastures
• woodland sparse and restricted to the western ridge, north and south of Ballycarry
• important coastal communities, especially for bird life, including both Larne Lough and the eastern cliffs.

Woodlands

Woodlands occupy approximately 3% of the LCA, most in mixed woodland and associated with demesnes. They are also spatially confined to the centre of the western ridge which stretches from White Head in the south to Ballylig Hill in the north. The most extensive woodlands are associated with Red Hall where there are avenues of lime and oak, parkland woodlands with mature beech, ash and oak and some areas of mixed wood and conifer plantation (lowland woodland pasture and parkland).

At Bentra, the present woodland is dominated by hazel with young to early mature ash trees and some downy birch. The ground flora is well developed with a diversity of spring-flowering plants. At Fort Hill, just to the north, young ash trees are dominant although there are scattered mature beech throughout and a beech plantation on the hilltop. On the lower slopes mature ash and beech form a dense mixed upland ashwood. The woods at Fort Hill generally have a rich ground flora that varies with soils and canopy cover. Both these woodlands appear from field and map evidence to be relatively recent, but the sites were in mixed woodland in the 1830s (First edition of the 6" maps); more of the old woodland remains at Fort Hill than at Bentra. Small patches of young mixed woodland occur near Ballylumford power station; these are affected by current construction work..

Grassland and Arable

Grassland occupies nearly 70% of the LCA, the majority in improved pastures. Arable land is, according to the Land Cover Map 2000, relatively extensive at about 14% of the LCA; large areas are mapped around the north of Magee Island and in its centre. However, all of this is related to grass reseeding and field amalgamation, so that the true percentage cover for grassland is over 80%. Generally, improved pastures have low biodiversity because they are sown and are intensively managed. As elsewhere in Northern Ireland, biodiversity in this land cover resides in the hedgerows that surround such fields. However, away from the roads, hedges are poorly managed - they are thin and gappy - and there has been significant loss of hedges through field amalgamation. Good management of hedges, in line with Countryside Management guidelines (including laying, correct cutting cycles, planting or protection of hedgerow trees from cutting, avoidance of spraying of herbicides, pesticides, slurry and fertilizers) and avoidance of further hedgerow loss, should ensure diversity of plant and animal life.

Many of the soils in this LCA are derived from chalk and marl tills so that where management is not so intensive and the soils are well drained, more species rich grassland has developed. Usually, such grasslands are small in extent, restricted to the odd field, but a more extensive example is found at Castletown ASSI. Here the traditionally managed hay meadows are not only species rich but contain yellow oat grass which is infrequently recorded in Northern Ireland and may be indicative of old meadows. This type of grassland provides valuable feeding and roosting sites for a range of animals, including birds and invertebrates; the variety of butterflies recorded at the ASSI include small copper and large numbers of meadow brown and common blue.

Other localities for semi-natural grassland include landslip and coastal areas as at Ballykeel, where semi-natural grassland is interspersed with scrub. Here the species rich grassland is particularly notable for the presence, in some abundance, of wood vetch which is rare in Northern Ireland. Skernaghan Point is of high biological interest also for its unimproved grassland, and habitat diversity is provided by the presence of flushes and a narrow fringe of maritime grassland and rock crevice communities. Wet grassland with rushes occurs on promontories on the west coast of Magee Island, as at Oldchurch Bay, and in low areas in the centre where peaty soils have been reclaimed to pasture.

Heath

There are no examples of lowland bog in this LCA; former peaty areas have been reclaimed to pastures. Small areas of gorse heath and scrub are found on steep slopes as on the north side of Muldersleigh Hill and on the raised cliff-lines above the east coast.

Wetlands

There are no significant standing waters or rivers in the LCA.

Coastal

Coastal communities in the LCA are diverse as a result of the varied physical environment; on the east of Magee Island there are rocky and cliff shorelines whereas on the east there is Larne Lough with not only rocky shores but also extensive mudflats, saltmarsh and brackish water habitats. Larne Lough ASSI (also SPA, Ramsar site and RSPB reserve) is an internationally important locality for breeding roseate tern, and over-wintering light-bellied brent goose. There are also nationally important numbers of breeding common tern, sandwich tern and wintering populations of wildfowl and waders. Many of these birds make use of the rich feeding grounds of the mud-flats and sea-grass beds. On the coastal saltmarsh, a relatively rare habitat in Northern Ireland golden plover and spotted fly catcher have been recorded.

The rocky Isle of Muck has maritime cliffs and slopes ideal for many nesting seabirds. The sparsely vegetated plateau maintains a large gull nesting population. Birds also include puffin, shag, guillemot, razorbill and kittiwake. Similar habitats are found along much of the east coast of Magee Island.

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 sparse, but includes the NI Priority Habitats lowland woodland pasture and parkland and mixed upland ashwood

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of demesne woodlands 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 in broadleaved woodlands to foster 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
• further study of the history and biodiversity of broadleaved woodlands at Bentra and Fort Hill, particularly any ancient and long-established, as a key to future management
• enhance biodiversity on Magee Island through measures to improve and extend woodland cover such as The Woodland Grant Scheme or The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme; woodland may be extended from shelterbelts that surround several of the farmhouses and from the scrub that occupies raised cliff-lines on the east
• management plans for demesne woodland should be directed toward their survival, through natural regrowth or planting of native broadleaf species; farmers and landowners could be encouraged to plant field corners or set-aside fields

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: predominantly improved pastures and poorly managed hedges of low biodiversity, however, Castletown ASSI includes extensive species-rich grassland

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 and protect species-rich grassland such as Castletown ASSI
• manage grazing levels to ensure that species-rich grassland areas are not encroached by scrub vegetation or experience a fall in species richness due to overgrazing
• maintain and enhance wet grassland by where, possible, restricting field or arterial drainage
• 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
• leave stubble over winter, rather than autumn ploughing to increase food resources for farmland birds; spring-sown cereals are beneficial to farmland birds
• ensure that further clearance of boulders does not occur on pastoral or arable land

HEATHS AND BOGS

Issue: limited areas of gorse heath and scrub occur

Actions:

• promote membership of ESA or Moorland schemes through consultation with farmers
• 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

COASTAL

Issue: Island Magee LCA features a diverse range of coastal NI Priority Habitats, including mudflats, sea-grass beds, coastal saltmarsh and maritime cliff and slopes

Actions:

• protect mudflats from potential impacts of nutrient enrichment, land claim, coastal defences, dredging and human disturbance
• ensure that dredging operations, fishing activities, land reclamation or eutrophication do not affect the integrity of intertidal and subtidal sea-grass beds
• protect rare coastal saltmarsh communities from sources of pollution and waste tipping, in addition to damaging activities such as land-fill and construction
• maintain wherever possible free functioning of coastal physical processes acting on maritime cliff and slopes; cliff areas are vulnerable to development which may cause erosion - any new development needs to be carefully considered
• ensure that NI Priority Species, rare plants and RSPB Red List Species are protected from factors such as new development, erosion, waste tipping and pollution

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