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 CharacteristicsWoodland occupies only 2% of the LCA, most associated with estates; prominent among these are Mount Stewart, Rosemount/Greyabbey and Carrowdore Castle. The broadleaved woodland (lowland woodland pasture and parkland) in these estates is predominantly beech with oak, sweet chestnut, sycamore, wych elm, lime, ash and alder. Occasional conifers are sometimes intermixed and, usually near the house, there are some specimen exotic conifers. The understorey and ground flora are not usually of great diversity, being relatively open and grazed, or of bracken and brambles, or dense thickets of rhododendron and cherry laurel. Most of the trees are mature and whilst some of the estate woodlands are well managed, with evidence of recent planting of hardwood saplings, in others there is little sign of regeneration of the main canopy trees; any regeneration is often of sycamore.
Outside of the estates, broadleaved woodland is scarce. Small patches of wet woodland are found in damp, former peatland areas, for example alder-willow carr at Inishargy Bog and Ballyfotherly Bog. Hazel-ash woodland with a relatively rich ground flora occurs in a steep sided river valley at Gregstown. At its southern end it grades into dense scrub consisting of blackthorn, hawthorn and willow. Damp willow scrub, with diverse wetland flora, adds to the conservation value of the site. The Woodland Trust has planted hardwoods at Woodland View and Carrowood.
Coniferous woodland is mainly in the Mount Stewart estate and is predominantly Japanese larch and Norway spruce. Unfortunately, some of this replaced clear felling of hardwoods; it is to be hoped that when these are harvested, broadleaves will replace them.
Grassland and ArableGrassland accounts for approximately 66% of the land cover and the majority of that is in improved pastures. Although the level of management varies from the frequently resown pastures with heavy inputs of fertilizers to those for which reseeding is at longer intervals and fertilizer is restricted to slurry or farmyard manure, the biodiversity is generally low. Hedgerows form the majority of field boundaries, but whereas on the larger farms they are maintained, in areas of smaller farms and poorer soils they have often become gappy. Throughout there is a lack of hedgerow trees and there is some evidence of field amalgamation.
Areas of rough grassland are scattered through the LCA and most are associated with inter-drumlin hollows. In many instances these hollows were drained and former peatlands converted to pasture, but have since become rushy. In other parts of the LCA, especially in the south, the underlying rock comes to the surface; here dry grassland is mixed with small patches of gorse. Rough grasslands have greater biodiversity than the pastures which surround them; for example, the damp grasslands and cut-over bogs alongside them, are a habitat for wetland birds including the curlew.
Arable land is scattered throughout the LCA, and much may in fact be grass reseeding, but there are concentrations of genuine arable land as for example inland of Ballywalter, around Rubane and on the east coastal strip north of Kirkcubbin. These areas tend to have large fields, often in cereals but also in oilseed rape. Hedgerows are generally well maintained and a habitat for farmland birds.
Heath and BogsThere is no intact lowland peat bog left in the LCA, indeed only a few patches of cut-over bog remain. The main concentration of these is in the north and comprises Ballyfotherly Bog, Blaeberry Island, Willy's Wood Island and Drumawhy Bog. These bogs are remnants of once more extensive inter-drumlin bogs and have limited interest as lowland bogs, but as a result of cutting and colonisation there is species and habitat diversity - thus there are patches of wet woodland, heather, damp grassland and some bog species. Royal fern, uncommon in Co. Down, has been recorded at Drumawhy Bog, as has the marsh fritillary butterfly. In the south of the LCA, Inishargy Bog is an inter-drumlin bog that has been designated as an Ulster Wildlife Trust nature reserve. The main area of the site consists of a mosaic of bog vegetation and scrub grassland with willow and alder carr to the west. This reserve also has Royal fern. Another important plant is devil's-bit scabious, the host plant of the marsh fritillary butterfly, a priority species for Northern Ireland. The wall brown butterfly and barn owl have also been recorded here.
Wetlands and LakesSmall pockets of fen can be found in inter-drumlin hollows throughout the LCA; most of these have probably originated through removal of peat. However, many of the former fens have been drained and reclaimed to pastures and those that remain are of limited biological interest. As with the patches of bog, they are under threat from land-fill and, being surrounded by improved pastures or arable land which have added fertilizers, they can become nutrient enriched.
Of the standing waters, the Glastry ponds display a rich aquatic flora including two species of water milfoil and the thread-leaved water crowfoot. Elsewhere, ponds are moderately enriched by overland flow or are man-made; both have little biodiversity interest.
CoastalSeveral boulder and bedrock shores along the coast of this LCA have been found to possess good species diversity (of flora and fauna) and to have a range of habitats. For example, coarse gravel, sandy sediment and muddy sediment are found along the Newtownards coast, Greyabbey Bay, Herring Bay, areas of Mid Island Bay and Ringburr Point. These areas are largely dominated by lugworms, sand masons and other polychaetes.
The Dorn ASSI (and NNR) consists of an extensive area of mudflats, sheltered bays, pladdies and sea-bed on the eastern side of Strangford Lough. The variety of shore types supports an exceptional diversity of marine life. The foreshore has large numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders including curlew, goldeneye and red-breasted mergansers. Brent geese, shelduck and teal are frequent. Common seals frequently bask on the rocks below Castle Hill and may be seen with pups on nearby pladdies in July.
Two small areas of coastal saltmarsh in this LCA are Black Neb Inlet and Horse Island. Saltmarshes are an important resource for wading birds and wildfowl. They act as high tide refuges for birds feeding on adjacent mudflats, as breeding sites for waders, gulls and terns and as a source of food for passerine birds particularly in autumn and winter.
Key IssuesGeneral actions for UK and NI Priority Habitats and Priority Species are detailed in the Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans.
WOODLANDSIssue: low woodland cover of mostly broadleaved trees in estates (lowland woodland pasture and parkland); also small areas of NI Priority Habitat wet woodland
Actions:
Issue: improved pastures and intensively managed arable land of low biodiversity value, but including scattered areas of rough grassland of greater biodiversity
Actions:
Issue: further damage to remaining cut-over lowland bogs, which exhibit good species and habitat diversity as a result of colonisation and cutting; NI Priority Species have been recorded at Inishargy Bog
Actions:
Issue: NI Priority Habitat fens have developed on previous lowland bog sites and are under threat from landfill and nutrient enrichment
Actions:
Issue: this LCA features the NI Priority Habitat mudflats at The Dorn ASSI and NI Priority Habitat coastal saltmarsh at Black Neb Inlet and Horse Island
Actions:
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