Moninea Bog
Moninea Bog is one of the best remaining examples of an active
raised bog within the drumlin landscape that occurs across
the southern counties of Northern Ireland.
The site is rich in Sphagnum moss
species, with twelve species recorded in August-October
1986 , from when most of the information in this section derives
(EHS 1986). . Sphagnum is estimated to cover over 40%
of the dome, but it attains as much as 50% cover in the middle
of the bog. The nationally rare sundews Drosera anglica
and D. intermedia
Rhyncospora alba is locally frequent
around the old ditch, which is now choked with Sphagnum papillosum.
The middle of the bog also has a good coverage of Erica tetralix
and Narthecium ossifragum.
The southern-most area of the spur comprises
a mosaic of Purple Moor Grass and Heatther some bare peat and
some Birch saplings. North of here, Deergrass is fairly evenly
spread and a zone of White Beak Rush begins, indicating the
southern edge of that part of the site which is of interest.
Along the southern edge of the dome, the vegetation
is transitional between that of the main dome and the raised
bog system at Gub, which lies at the top of the spur and just
outside the site. The part of the site that is adjacent to Gub
is seriously degraded through cutting, although some parts show
good quality regeneration of the vegetation. There is some grazing
here as well. To the east of the dome, there is a cut-over section
which is grazed and contains Purple Moor-grass, Soft Rush and
Sweet Vernal Grass amongst other species.
There is almost a complete absence of information
on the site’s fauna. In general, the invertebrate interest
on lowland raised bogs is very high , whereas ornithologically,
they appear to be of limited importance. In some areas, however,
sites may hold significant populations of waders, passerines
and wintering birds of prey and geese.
The only faunal information from Moninea is
that Snipe were recorded as abundant in the centre of the bog
in the Site Report in November 1988.
There is no public access to this site.
