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 CharacteristicsWoodlands occupy less than 1% of the LCA, well below even the average for Northern Ireland (c.5%). This is because there are no State Forests on the uplands and the lowlands are generally in intensive farmland. Nor, with the exception of Cleggan Lodge and the much smaller Glenravel, are there extensive demesnes (lowland woodland pasture and parkland).
The most extensive woodlands are in and around the Cleggan Lodge estate where there are parkland trees, planted broadleaved and mixed woodlands, conifer plantations and woods that may precede the estate. The parkland has individual trees - including oak, beech and lime - scattered through grazed grassland. There has been recent mixed planting around the edge of the park and generally trees are managed well. The estate woodlands, including Longmore Wood, have a wide range of species. Larch, oak, ash, beech and sycamore are the most frequent but there are also lime, elm, and Scots pine as well as hazel, alder and birch and occasional western red cedar and western hemlock. In such a large area of woodlands, with variation in soils from those that are more acidic to those that are basic or damp, with variation in the canopy species and with areas open to grazing or ungrazed, there is considerable difference in the extent of the herb cover and a great diversity of species.
To the east of Longmore Wood, woodland extends up the Cleggan River changing from a dominance of standard trees to dominance of hazel with ash, birch and oak (the latter especially along tributary streams) as the standards (Cleggan ASSI). In wetter areas there are patches of wet woodland with alder and willows. The ground flora is diverse as a result of the changing soil conditions; wood sorrel and bluebell are common on the drier parts with marsh hawk's beard, valerian and remote sedge in the flushed areas. There are also locally rare species.
The estate woodland at Glenravel (Cargan) is small but the planted area is similar to that of the 1830s, in contrast to Cleggan Lodge where less than half the woodland shown on the 1830s maps remains. The approximately 12 ha of woodland at Glenravel can be divided into the beech dominated parkland edge and avenue along the main road; coniferous plantations to the southwest that vary in age and species (Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, Scots pine and larch) and have a broadleaved edge; the immediate environs of the house with a diversity of trees (lime, beech, Monterey cypress, silver fir, western red cedar, horse chestnut); and woodland along the Cargan Water where the alder and sycamore are enhanced by species used in the parkland. The understorey has frequent rhododendron in parts and the herb layer is quite poor.
Outside of the estates the most frequent woodlands are dominated by hazel and the majority are located alongside streams. A typical example is along the Glen Burn ASSI where the hazel is accompanied by ash, oak and sycamore as well as alder, birch, and willows. The herb layer is diverse, in part reflecting the varying ground conditions; bluebell, ramsons (wood garlic) and wood anemone are common and the site has rare species - dutch rush and toothwort.
Other hazel woodlands include those along the Breckagh Water and around Buckna. Herb layers are often diverse in species, but also grazed in parts; there is also some dumping of rubbish and farm machinery.
The Artoges River also has wooded sides often of ash with coppiced hazel beneath (upland mixed ashwoods). There are a few stands of oak often with heavy growths of epiphytic Polypodium vulgare agg. Holly is frequent in the shrub layer. The steep slopes are very flushed and diverse in species - including ramsons, opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, primrose, lesser celandine and germander. Great wood-rush is dominant towards the top of the slope and ferns are frequent.
Woods around Loughloughan include those at Craigs where the southern part is an open canopy oak wood (upland oakwood) on a gentle slope with rock outcrops. Hazel is abundant and holly is also found in the understorey. Mosses and grasses dominate the woodland floor, and ferns are frequent. In damper parts opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage and brook lime occur. Nearby woods are of hazel with some oak standards, but have been reduced in extent by expansion of an adjacent quarry.
Grassland and ArableGrassland accounts for around 85% of the land cover, appreciably higher than the Northern Ireland average (c71%); almost three-quarters of this are in improved pastures. The remainder is largely rough grazing and acid grassland in the uplands and upland margins where it is often on cut-over peat or peaty soils. It is usually low in diversity and dominated either by rushes or acid grasses including purple moor grass and wavy hair grass. It is also intermixed with wet heath and remnant patches of bog in a diverse land cover.
There are also areas of damp pastures in the lowlands often associated with past reclamation; these are usually grazed and dominated by rushes with short acid grasses between the tussocks. There are some wet sedge-rich grasslands, common sedge is dominant, which have flushed, species-rich areas. These wet grasslands are an important habitat in the lowlands for the curlew and the Irish hare also finds refuge in these less intensively managed fields.
Improved pastures generally have low biodiversity as a result of relatively intensive management. Some are sown grasslands dominated by ryegrass and few other species - low biodiversity is in-built. Others have been converted to improved pastures through management. Repeated cutting for silage, high inputs of fertilizers and slurry, and selective herbicides serve to reduce diversity of both flora and fauna. In other parts of the LCA, for example in river valleys towards the upland margins, fields are often small and management may consist of applications of farmyard manure and almost constant grazing; although less 'improved' they are nevertheless of low biodiversity.
Arable land (includes grass re-seeding) occupies just less than 6% of the LCA, around the average for Northern Ireland. Although arable fields are scattered amongst improved pastures, there are two broad belts in which they are more common - in the west of the LCA, and between the Artoges River and the eastern side of the Braid River south of Cleggan Lodge. In these belts brown earth soils are widespread.
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, as in lowland parts of this LCA there are few semi-natural habitats. Hedgerows are a refuge for many woodland and farmland plants and animals. In the lower parts of this LCA the predominantly hawthorn hedges are generally well maintained. However, in much of this LCA field boundaries are stone walls and post and wire fences in the reclaimed fields of the upper slopes.
Heaths and BogsThe north and southeast borders of the LCA clip the upper slopes of the Antrim Plateau and therefore include some of the rough grazing/acid grasslands and wet heath associated with cut-over peatland that is widespread on the eastern slopes of the plateau. There are also areas of eroded peat and some small patches of intact blanket bog as in the headwaters of the Skerry Water and of the Glen Burn. In addition there are two lower upland areas that protrude into the LCA, Carncoagh Hill - Elginny Hill in the narrow centre of the LCA, and the Lisles Hill - Kanes Hill - Slievenamona area in the east. In both, the land cover is diverse with wet heath (upland heathland) dominated by common heather, acid grassland with purple moor grass, and eroded peat. Cut-over peatland is extensive (although there are few sites of active cutting by either compact harvester or hand) and much of the heath and grassland has developed on it. However, especially in the eastern upland, it is variable in depth and can contain remnants of former bog. For example, at Munie South there is an extensively cut-over upland raised bog with remnants of the intact dome in the centre of the site. The whole site has been burnt repeatedly, severely damaging drier parts of the bog and in particular remnants of the intact dome. The bog moss (Sphagnum) cover is low although some hummocks have survived. Short shrubs of common heather and cross-leaved heath, with abundant bog asphodel and frequent sundew and common cotton sedge, dominate the bog. Flooded areas of hand cutting are valuable locations for dragonflies. This eastern upland area is significant for breeding waders - curlew, snipe and lapwing.
Wetlands and LakesThere are no significant sites of open water in the LCA, but there are numerous headwater streams flowing from the plateau into the Clogh River and the Braid River, both of which have river water crowfoot and are salmonid rivers.
Key IssuesGeneral actions for UK and NI Priority Habitats and Priority Species are detailed in the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans.
WOODLANDSIssue: very low woodland cover but some estate and valley woodlands of significance to
biodiversity
Actions:
Issue: poor biodiversity of farmland
Actions:
Issue: loss of upland heathland and decline in its biodiversity
Actions:
Issue: blanket bogs are of national and international importance
Actions:
Issue: important rivers with rare plants and salmonid fish.
Actions:
Click here to return to the Northern Ireland LCA Map