Dungannon Drumlins and Hills 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 cover only c. 2% of the LCA, considerably less than the percentage for Northern Ireland as a whole (c.5.6%)
• to the south of the A4, woodlands are small and scattered whereas to the north of the road there are large woodlands generally associated with past or present demesnes; these are some of the most significant woodlands in the LCA
• small wet woodlands frequent in the south of the LCA, associated with inter-drumlin lakes and wetlands
• grasslands account for c.87% of the land cover of which almost all is in improved pasture of low biodiversity
• nevertheless between the drumlins wet grasslands that grade into fen, particularly important for wetland birds
• good examples of fen, a habitat under threat in UK and Ireland
• rare lake types with particular assemblages of plants, but under threat from eutrophication

Woodlands

Woodlands cover only c. 2% of the LCA, considerably less than the percentage for Northern Ireland as a whole (c.5.6%). To the south of the A4, woodlands are small and scattered whereas to the north of the road there are large woodlands generally associated with past or present demesnes (lowland woodland pasture and parkland). These include, Parkanaur and Drumcairne both now State Forest, Stuart Hall, and around Dungannon remnants of the Ballynorthland Demesne, Cottagequinn and Killymeal. Stuart Hall has much modern planting of conifers and broadleaves, but around the edge there are mature beech, oak, ash, sycamore and some specimen conifers in the former parkland. There is some wet woodland along streams to the south with willow and alder. The outline of the woodlands and parkland was much the same in the 1803s, suggesting that although many of the trees are more recent, the woodland is at least 'long-established' and may contain greater species diversity than more recent woods.

Some of the extensive parkland and woodlands shown on the 1830s 6" maps on the southern outskirts of Dungannon, are now included in public parks, and other sections have been incorporated into housing expansion; some trees have been replaced by conifers. However, much of the woodland and parkland remains and as at Stuart Hall, parts may be more diverse in species than more modern woodlands.

The small woodlands to the south of the A4 are mainly managed by the Forest Service and with few exceptions are dominated by conifers; for example, Brantry Wood, one of the largest patches, is of Japanese larch and spruces. However, there are some of these woodlands with intermixed planting; Dunamony Wood is dominated by Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, Lawson cypress and western red cedar, but it has a small Norway spruce and oak compartment. The western section of Yellow Horn Hill also has oak inter-planted with Scots pine or Norway spruce. At Creeve Lough, the wetland margins have been planted with poplars, some Japanese larch and Sitka spruce, and a small compartment of oak.

Unlike Creeve Lough, the margins of most loughs in the southern part of the LCA have not been planted and there are some good examples of wet woodland. These carr woodlands are dominated by willows and alder and merge into areas of fen and reedbeds (see wetlands below) to give locally diverse habitats. The wet woodland around Brantry Lough has much alder and is also notable for its fungal communities that include species recorded recently for the first time in Ireland. Other wet woodlands occupy cut-over bogs or fens in inter-drumlin hollows.

Grassland and Arable

Grasslands account for c.87% of the land cover of which almost all is in improved pasture. Small amounts of rough pasture occur in the developing fringe of Dungannon, but generally it is confined to damp inter-drumlin hollows or damp fields on the higher parts such as The Burnt Hill. Many of these fields are grazed grasses between clumps of rushes or are almost completely rush dominated; species diversity is generally low. However, there are damp meadows that merge into fen and can therefore provide a diversity of habitats and species (including common orchids), especially where there is also some colonisation by willow and alder.

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.

Arable land (including grass re-seeding) has a marked distribution being almost entirely east of a line from Donaghmore to the Oona Water at Goak Hill, reflecting a change to more gleyed soils west of the line.

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 predominantly hawthorn hedgerow are generally well-managed, dense and treed - commonly ash, but in some locations with wych elm. There is some field amalgamation with consequent loss of hedges.

The intricate mix of land cover types - improved grasslands, hedges, damp grasslands, fens, woodlands and loughs - provides a diversity of habitats throughout the farmland for many species including bird Priority Species; song thrush, bullfinch, skylark, spotted flycatcher and reed bunting are all common.

Heaths and Bogs

Fen and basin peats are widespread between the drumlins, but ombrogenous lowland raised bog is rare either because the sequence of development to bog has not been completed or because of past removal of peat for fuel. There is no significant heath in this predominantly agricultural lowland.

Wetlands and Lakes

Fen is widespread between the drumlins, although many of the patches are small. The UK and Ireland have much of the fen habitat found in Europe, but it is a declining habitat because of drainage, land-fill and the effects of eutrophication. The fen in this LCA is therefore of importance not only locally, but also nationally. Commonly, the edges of lakes have a vegetation consisting of species such as common reed, reedmace, branched bur-reed and yellow flag iris; away from the lake margins this merges to a sedge and grass dominated community although a wide range of herbs may occur. There may also be carr woodland present (see wet woodland above). These fens and damp grasslands are important for wetland birds, particularly breeding waders - breeding lapwing, snipe and curlew are recorded from this LCA. They are also part of the intricate land cover that enables many of the bird Priority Species to be found in the LCA (see above).

There are a considerable number of inter-drumlin lakes in the LCA, many of which are classed as mesotrophic. Mesotrophic lakes have a middle level of nutrients between nutrient poor (oligotrophic) and nutrient rich (eutrophic). Mesotrophic lakes potentially have the highest macrophyte diversity of any lake type. Furthermore, relative to other lake types, they may contain a higher proportion of nationally scarce and rare aquatic plants. This is an increasingly rare type of lake in Northern Ireland because the nutrient status of many is being increased through input of water from agricultural land that has had applications of fertilizers and slurry. Indeed, many of the mesotrophic lakes in this LCA are regarded as of low interest for conservation because they have enhanced nutrient levels. One lake was classified by the Northern Ireland Lake Survey as of eutrophic standing waters. Ballysaggart Lough was classed as a 'Nuphar/Elodea/Potamogeton perfoliatus' lake that is moderately enriched. This type probably represents the highest diversity of aquatic macrophytes in a eutrophic water body, but there are high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen. Although marl lakes are more widespread in Fermanagh, a number of loughs of this category occur in the LCA. Most are of the 'Nuphar/Elodea/Chara/Algae' type, that is, small, clear-water, un-enriched lakes with relatively high base status, but at least two (Friary Lough and Roughan Lough) are 'Nuphar/Elodea/Hippuris' type - the cleanest, clearest, hard water lakes with the highest base status and most specialised flora. These lakes are rare and vulnerable to phosphate accumulation.

The Ballygawley Water and the River Blackwater have the white clawed crayfish and the Blackwater also has river water crowfoot. The Blackwater is a salmon river (also trout and dollaghan), whereas the Oona Water and Ballygawley are important for brown trout fishing.

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 woodland cover of variable biodiversity value; some important demesne woodland, wet woodlands, but also some affected by planting

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); by limitation of conifer planting
• further study of the history and ecology of demesne and other broadleaved woodlands particularly any ancient and long-established, as a key to future management
• where woodlands have been planted with conifers (both in estates and in many small patches in the south of the LCA), encourage replacement, on felling, with native broadleaves
• ensure that wet woodlands are not lost through drainage, inappropriate planting or land-fill/rubbish dumping
• encourage planting in the farmland through appropriate grant schemes

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: poor biodiversity of much of the farmland, but important pockets of damp grassland, fen and loughs

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, especially wet grassland
• maintain and enhance wet grassland by 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 breeding farmland birds.

WETLANDS

Issue: fens in Northern Ireland are a large proportion of the UK resource; inter-drumlin fens, reedbeds and wet grasslands are a characteristic feature of the LCA and important habitats for Priority Species

Actions:

• protect fens against loss by drainage and infill, which includes use as official refuse tips as well as sites in which to deposit building rubble and fly-tipping
• leakage of fertilizers and slurry from surrounding agricultural land should be prevented as this increases the nutrient levels and affects species composition.

Issue: rare types of lakes with characteristic species assemblages and rivers with rare Priority Species

Actions:

• protect water quality of lakes and rivers through nutrient management, 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 streams in relation to expansion of rural/urban housing and associated septic tanks/sewage treatment plants

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