Ballynahone Bog
NNR
The National Nature Reserve (98.13ha)
encompasses the southern portion of Ballynahone Bog. This is
one of the most important lowland raised bogs in Northern Ireland
for its physiographical features and peatland flora and fauna.
Ballynahone Bog is important because
of its size, diversity of vegetation and structural features,
and the presence of rare and notable species. Although a series
of shallow peat drains were excavated across the surface in
the recent past, these have now been blocked, and the bog is
recovering. The intact surface of Ballynahone Bog represents
one of the largest remaining areas of uncut lowland raised bog
in Northern Ireland, and most of this is included within the
NNR. The peat sequence holds information on the history of local
vegetation and climate in the form of sediments, pollen, and
volcanic glass shards (tephra).
The classic domed profile of the deep
peat exhibits a wide range of characteristic vegetation and
structural features, with pool, hummock and lawn complexes.
The bog vegetation is characterised by a high percentage cover
of Sphagnum mosses, ericoid dwarf-shrubs and other associated
species, with the composition and abundance of these components
dependent on local edaphic conditions.
Flat, water-logged ‘lawns’ alongside
pools are characterised by the prominence of such species as
Cross-leaved Heath, Bog Asphodel, White Beak-sedge and Common
Cottongrass , over a Sphagnum moss carpet.
The abundance of Cranberry in these
areas is also notable. Typically, the pools are dominated by
Sphagnum with Bogbean abundant in a number of them. Lesser
Bladderwort and Great Sundew are also frequent in some
pools with the nationally rare Sphagnum pulchrum often occuring
around the edges.
On the greater part of the bog plain
the prominent species include Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Hare’s-tail
Cottongrass, Common Cottongrass, and Deergrass. Additional species
which are also well represented within the sward include Bog
Asphodel, White Beak-sedge, with occasional patches of Bog-myrtle
also occurring. Sphagnum mosses generally form scattered
hummocks throughout the area.
The lagg surrounding the lowland raised
bog has been extensively cut for turf, creating a mosaic of
habitats which are dependent on peat-depth and age of cutting.
Vegetation communities vary from ‘poor’ fen, through Purple
Moor-grass grassland and heath, to extensive areas of scrub
and young woodland, mainly dominated by Downy Birch.
The peatland flora includes a number
of rare Sphagnum moss species.
The bog also provides an important habitat
for breeding birds such as Curlew and Snipe and wintering species
including birds of prey such as Hen Harrier and Merlin.
The invertebrate fauna is characteristic
of lowland raised bogs in this region, and notably, Ballynahone
Bog supports one of the largest known colonies of the Large
Heath butterfly in Northern Ireland.
