Carrickfergus Upland Pastures 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

• cool, damp plateau of moderate altitude with poor soils - thin and rocky or strongly gleyed peaty soils
• predominantly in improved pasture but of varied quality depending on management and soils
• small fields with overgrown and gappy hedges
• extensive coniferous forest

Woodlands

Woodlands occupy just over 10% of the land and are almost entirely coniferous; Woodburn State Forest is located within this LCA. The main tree species are Sitka spruce (34%), Norway spruce (28%) and Japanese larch (20%), with an intimate broadleaved mixture comprising about 3.5% of the planting. Biodiversity of this coniferous forest is low and no Northern Ireland Priority Species have been recorded.

Glenoe ashwood falls into this LCA. Although ash is dominant, beech, sycamore and horse chestnut are also found, together with some pines. This composition indicates that the woodland was either planted, or at least substantially modified by new planting. The understorey is predominantly hazel and the herb layer contains bluebell and wood anemone amongst a wide range of species. The woodland is rich in bird life with breeding buzzard and tree-creeper recorded.

Grassland and Arable

Grassland occupies approximately 75% of the LCA, the majority being in improved pasture. However, the quality of this pasture varies depending on management and location. Soils are often peaty and the altitude produces a cooler and wetter climate; without intensive management the pastures become invaded by rushes. Fields are generally small and where hedges are thick they give a wooded impression to the landscape as well as offering habitats for birds and other wildlife. However, over most of the LCA hedges have been neglected, have become gappy and are reinforced with post and wire fencing.

Rough grassland is scattered throughout the LCA, associated either with thin soils in which there can be rocky outcrops, or with damper, peaty soils. Curlew, snipe and lapwing have been recorded in the damp grassland. Irish hare is also recorded from the rougher grasslands. Patches of gorse scrub are also associated with the thinner soils and rock outcrops. Arable land accounts for about 5% of the LCA, but this is almost all grassland reseeding, there is little genuine arable.

Blanket Bogs

Peatland is not extensive in the LCA; any remaining is in small patches, usually on the hills. No intact peat remains, the patches are either eroded or cut-over as at Keeran Moss.

Wetlands

Lough Mourne, at over 50 hectares, is the largest lake in the LCA. It is moderately enriched, as is Lower South Woodburn Reservoir. South Woodburn Reservoir, in contrast, has a low base status. However, all of the reservoirs are of generally low biodiversity interest; there are no reedbed or fen communities associated with any of the surveyed lakes. Beaked beardless moss is recorded from both Lower South Woodburn and North Woodburn reservoir.

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: coniferous forest of low biodiversity value is the dominant type of woodland cover, however, the NI Priority habitat Upland mixed ashwood also occurs at Glenoe.

Actions:

• enhance the biodiversity value of Upland mixed ashwood at Glenoe woodland, by discouraging any further felling or pollarding; by retention of fallen and veteran trees (particularly for bryophytes, ferns, fungi and fauna) and by retaining hazel scrub
• encourage control of grazing in broadleaved woodlands to foster herb layer and regeneration and if necessary, encourage appropriate replanting
• further study of the history and ecology of Glenoe woodland, 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

GRASSLAND AND ARABLE

Issue: improved grasslands and limited arable of low biodiversity value, but also including rough grassland with associated records of the NI Priority Species curlew and Irish hare

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 unsown areas of grassland; maintain and enhance damp 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; 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 birdsensure that further clearance of boulders does not occur on pastoral or arable land

HEATHS AND BOGS

Issue: loss of all intact peat bogs to extraction and erosion

Actions:

• maintain the integrity of any remaining cut-over bogs which can provide important habitats for birds and invertebrates by, for example, preventing infilling, fly-tipping, fires, new drainage, encroachment by trees and mechanised peat cutting
• consider restoration of any suitable bog habitats through appropriate water level management, removal of colonising trees and phasing out peat cutting

WETLANDS AND LAKES

Issue: Lough Mourne is a NI Priority Habitat mesotrophic lake; the NI Priority Species beaked beardless moss is recorded from Lower South Woodburn and North Woodburn reservoir

Actions:

• promote and encourage adoption of Countryside Management guidelines so that rivers and lakes are not polluted by releases from silage effluent, herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers or sheep dip; ensure that eutrophication does not occur as a result of nutrient-rich surface waters from surrounding farmland
• recognise that monitoring of streams in relation to forestry and other operations upstream may be important

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