Aughnadaragh Lough
Aughnadaragh Lough is a diverse site including a wide variety
of habitats, with transitions from lake, through fringing swamp
and fen to wet grassland, cut-over bog and pockets of scrub
and wood. As a result, it contains a rich wetland flora and
supports a diverse invertebrate community. The open water of
the lake supports a range of aquatic species including Yellow
Water-lily and is surrounded by a narrow band of transitional
swamp dominated by Bulrush. Many of the fen communities are
acidic in character and reflect past patterns of cutting. They
are dominated by Bottle Sedge and Bogbean, with frequent
associated species over a moss carpet of Sphagnum squarrosum.
Drier areas are characterised by acid grasslands dominated by
Purple Moor-grass forming a mosaic with relict bog vegetation.
Rare plants include several swamp and fen species including
Grass-of-Parnassus and the bryophyte Sphagnum squarrosum.
Invertebrates of note recorded for the area include the Marsh
Fritillary butterfly and a rare Hoverfly.
No public access to the site.
Ballynagross
This site consists of two small wetland basins which occur
around a central core, dominated by tall Common Reed,
with occasional Great Willowherb, Wild Angelica and Meadowsweet
in more open areas.
The wetland to the south is particularly rich, with several
fen communities present. Around the edge there is a band of
fen dominated by Blunt-flowered Rush and Meadowsweet. In wetter
parts, Bogbean becomes more abundant, with a range of other
species such as Water Mint, Marsh Pennywort, Bottle Sedge, Marsh
Cinquefoil, Marsh Bedstraw , Lesser Water-parsnip,
Marsh-marigold, and Water Dock . These fen
communities grade into wet grassland which is species-rich in
places and is dominated by Sharp-flowered Rush and Soft-rush.
The wetland to the north appears to be rather more eutrophic
(enriched by nutrients) and is rather different in character.
Blunt-flowered Rush occurs in places around the edges, but the
central parts are dominated by tall Reed Canary-grass and Yellow
Iris. There are also small areas of scattered Grey Willow Salix
cinerea scrub within the wetland. These provide additional
habitat diversity.
The fen contains a number of vascular plants with a restricted
distribution in the British Isles, including Lesser Tussock-sedge,
Slender Sedge, Blunt-flowered Rush and Black Bog-rush.
Ballynagross Lower also provides valuable habitat for a range
of wetland animals, including birds and invertebrates.
There is no public access to this site.
Carrowcarlin
Carrowcarlin is a basin wetland supporting a range of plant
communities, including species-rich type of fen that are rare
in Northern Ireland. Some pockets of scrub and wet acid grassland
also occur. The fen is dominated by Bottle Sedge, Sharp-flowered
Rush and Yorkshire Fog, growing over the brown moss. Notable
species include Slender Sedge , Lesser Tussock-sedge, Greater
Tussock-sedge, Great Fen-sedge, Many-stalked Spike-rush, Black
Bog-rush and Blunt-flowered Rush forming communities that
are characteristic of wetlands in south-east Down, but rare
in N.I. as a whole. The site is also important for invertebrates.
Notable species include the rare water beetles, the rare spiders
Clubiona stagnatilis and Floronia bucculenta
and the pond skater Gerris lateralis.
There is no public access to this site.
Heron & Carrigullian Loughs
Heron & Carrigullian Loughs, together with the surrounding
fen, scrub, woodland and unimproved grassland represent a large
area of semi-natural habitat which supports a number of rare
plants and invertebrates. The open waters hold a range of aquatic
plant species. The margins of the lakes consist of emergent
swamp vegetation, backed by a species- rich fen in which Lesser
Tussock-sedge is prominent with associated herbs and grasses.
The area includes a further transition from fen to wet grassland
and woodland, adding diversity to the site. Notable plants include
Rigid Hornwort, Cyperus Sedge, Lesser Tussock Sedge, Flowering-rush
and Least Bur-reed. The site is also important for invertebrates.
54 species of Aquatic Coleoptera have been recorded for the
site, making it the second richest in Northern Ireland for this
group. A number of notable species are present.
No public access to the site.
Loughkeelan
Eutrophic lough with high calcium levels supporting a rich
aquatic plant community which includes extensive growth of stonewort.
The fringe of calcicolous fen is limited in NI.
There is no public access to this site.
Lough Money
A small site occupying a depression at the junction of three
pasture fields and influenced from the surrounding improved
pasture. There is only a limited area of diverse fen on the
site, which occupies a small area at the southern end and narrow
margins to the north. It is highly grazed, short vegetation
with Blunt-flowered Rush and Lesser Water-parsnip – quite species-diverse
but possibly nutrient enriched. The bulk of the site is Great
Fen-Sedge swamp as a mono-species stand, probably the largest
area of Great Fen-Sedge in Down and Armagh.
There is no public access to this site.
Quoile River
The area is set within the drumlin landscape of County Down
and is centred around the former tidal estuary of the Quoile
River. Following the construction of a flood-control barrage
at Hare Island in the late 1950s, the estuary became subject
to more pronounced freshwater influences. The Quoile contains
a very wide range of habitats, ranging from mature, semi-natural
woodland and scrub to open water, swamp, fen and unimproved
wet grassland. As a result of this diversity, plant and animal
communities are very rich and include a number of scarce species.
Around the water’s edge there is a band of swamp, often dominated
by Common Reed and Bulrush. Areas of tall fen are more species-rich
with Water Horsetail, Water Mint, Water Forget-me-not, Creeping
Bent and Bottle Sedge. In slightly drier locations these species
are joined by Meadowsweet and Common Sedge. A wide range
of other species are also present, including Common Marsh-bedstraw,
Creeping Buttercup, Lesser Spearwort, Cuckooflower, Wild Angelica,
Silverweed, Carnation Sedge and notably False Fox-sedge.
For access to this site contact the Warden on 028 4461 5520.
mailto:quoilecc@doeni.gov.uk
Turmennan
Turmennan consists of a valley mire, which is in a transitional
stage between fen and bog. It supports a wide range of plant
communities, ranging from swamp to a variety of fen types and
wet grasslands. Small pockets of wet heath and scrub further
enhance the scientific interest of the area. The diversity of
wetland habitats supports a rich invertebrate community with
a number of notable Odontata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) and
aquatic Coleoptera (water beetles).
The fen communities range from slightly base-rich to markedly
acidic which is partly related to past patterns of peat cutting.
Sedges dominate the sward with a variety of associated herbs
depending on local edaphic conditions. A carpet of brown mosses
dominated by Calliergon cuspidatum and C. cordifolium occurs
beneath the more base-rich fen with the more acidic areas characterised
by Sphagnum bog-mosses.
Notable plants include Marsh St John’s-wort, Floating Club-rush,
and Least Bur-reed.
There is no public access to this site.
