Hillsborough Slopes 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

• LCA dominated by Hillsborough Castle estate containing the majority of woodland both broadleaved and coniferous
• Includes two main areas of development; Hillsborough and Dromore
• Dominated by improved pasture with some rough grassland on higher ground
• Very little wetland remaining; areas have been lost to drainage, encroachment by scrub vegetation and tipping

Woodlands

Woodlands account for just over 6% of land cover in this LCA. The majority of this is contained within Hillsborough Castle demesne and forest. This area is split into a small and large park (Lowland woodland pasture and parkland). The small park contains areas of mixed woodland around the castle including mature trees. In the large park, blocks of broadleaved woodland, mainly oak and beech with some birch, ash and sycamore, surround the parkland. The rest of the forest is predominantly Norway spruce, Sitka spruce and Japanese larch with extensive areas around Hillsborough lake and to the south of the large park. These areas of woodland are important for a variety of wildlife including red squirrel and the Irish hare as well as birds such as the song thrush and barn owl.

Elsewhere in the LCA, trees are confined to a few scattered areas of wet woodland occurring mostly on old cut-over bogs and a new woodland at Ballymaganlis, just outside of Dromore, a Woodland Trust site which consists of ash, wild cherry and oak.

The example of recent planting at Dromore to create future woodland, and thereby add to local biodiversity, is important.

Grassland and Arable

Over 70% of this LCA is grassland, dominated by improved pasture with some rough grassland on higher ground. Approx. 14% of land cover has been mapped as arable although some is grass re-seeding and some is preparation for new residential development. Arable fields are found in small patches throughout the LCA particularly on the broader slopes but also on the ridge-tops. Farmland is an important habitat for wildlife especially decreasing farmland birds such as the yellow hammer, tree sparrow and linnet, all of which have been recorded around the Ballyworfy region.

Wetlands and Lakes

There are two main lakes in this LCA, Hillsborough Castle Lake and Hillsborough Park Lake, both located within the Hillsborough estate. They are man made and enriched and not of great importance in terms of biodiversity.

There is one area of fen still remaining in this LCA, this being at Ballymacormick, an inter-drumlin basin dominated by bottle sedge and reedmace. There are other areas that were originally fen but due to drainage or encroachment are now rush pasture or dominated by scrub vegetation. An area of fen near Drumlough has been lost to a dumping site.

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 of variable biodiversity value, including areas of NI Priority Habitat Lowland woodland pasture and parkland and wet woodland. These woodlands are important for a variety of NI Priority Species.

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of demesne woodlands by discouraging felling; halt 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 demesne woodlands to foster herb layer and regeneration and if necessary, encourage replanting of canopy species
• further study of the history and ecology of broadleaved woodlands within the LCA, particularly any ancient and long-established, as a key to future management
• enhance biodiversity through measures to improve and extend woodland cover such as The Woodland Grant Scheme or The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme; management plans for demesne woodland should be directed toward their survival, through natural regrowth or planting of native broadleaf species
• ensure conservation of wet woodlands by allowing succession to take place and installing fencing to prevent trampling; ensure that loss does not occur through drainage, reclamation, landfill or dumping/tipping

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: improved pasture and arable of low biodiversity value. Farmland around Ballyworfy has records of NI Priority Species yellow hammer, tree sparrow and linnet.

Actions:

• maintain and improve field boundaries by following Countryside Management guidelines, especially hedgerows 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; provision of wildlife strips and conservation headlands around fields; and limitation of field amalgamation
• encourage (through participation in Environmental Schemes) adoption/continuance of less intensive management of pastures to allow reversion to/continuance of more species-rich grassland
• leave stubble over winter, rather than autumn ploughing to increase food resources for farmland birds; spring-sown cereals are beneficial to farmland bird
• sensure that further clearance of boulders does not occur on pastoral or arable land

WETLANDS AND LAKES

Issue: this LCA contains a NI Priority Habitat fen at Ballymacormick

Actions:

• prevent further loss of fen through drainage, reclamation, land-fill and encroachment by scrub woodland; prevent dumping and fly-tipping and encourage removal of rubbish; care should be taken to divert the flow of nutrient rich water from agricultural land away from fens, so that sites do not become damaged by a change in species composition
• carefully assess any proposals for arterial and field drainage near to fens so that the water table is not lowered to the extent that fens are affected

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