Lough Neagh Wetlands
Fen
Habitat Action
Plan
2008 - 2013
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
Fen in the Lough Neagh Wetlands
Introduction
Fens is a type of wetland which receives the majority of its water and nutrients
from soil, rock and ground water and is characterized by a distinctive vegetation.
Fens occur in river valleys, poorly drained basins or inter-drumlin hollows, along
lake margins or on river flood-plains and are confined to lowlands such as those
found in the Lough Neagh Wetlands.
Background
Topogenous fens include those mires where water movements in the peat or soil
are generally vertical. They include basin fens and floodplain fens. Soligenous
fens are those mires where water movements are dominantly lateral, including
valley mires, springs and flushes in the lowlands. Fen vegetation can be
classified into three basic types, `poor-fens, `rich-fen` and ‘transition mire and
quaking bog’.
The definition of fens includes tall fen and associated marshy grassland
vegetation on deep peat dominated by meadowsweet, tall grasses and rushes.
The definition also covers swamp vegetation which is species-poor and
dominated by a mixture of species including bulrush, reed-mace, reed canary
grass, branched bur-reed, flowering-rush and tall sedges such as great fen
sedge, great pond sedge, bottle sedge or bladder sedge.
A number of locally rare plant species are associated with Lough Neagh fen,
such as fen bedstraw, greater water-parsnip, Irish lady’s-tresses orchid, marsh
helleborine and marsh pea.
Fens are a diverse habitat which support a very wide range of plant and animal
species including frog, smooth newt, reed bunting and breeding waders. Birds of
open water include shoveler.
Northern Ireland fens are particularly important for invertebrates, several of which
are absent or threatened in Great Britain. These include dragonflies such as the
Irish damselfly, beetles such as the whirligig beetle Gyrinus
natator, the water beetle Haliplus variegates, the pond skater Limnoporus
rufoscutellatus and the carabid beetle Pterostichus aterrimus and butterflies and
moths such as the marsh fritillary butterfly
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
Threats
Water Levels
Drainage and any subsequent changes in the water-table, particularly the
lowering and stabilization of water-tables, can affect the extent and quality of
fens. This can be the result of either localised direct drainage or indirect marginal
drainage, through changes in water-levels of lakes. Fens have declined as a
result of drainage and control of water levels. Many extensive areas of fen
associated with large lakes such as Lough Neagh have disappeared. Prior to
successive lowering of the Lough Neagh water levels, fen communities extended
in a strip up to several hundred metres wide along the southern shore of Lough
Neagh, from Washing Bay in the south-west to Hog Park Point in the south-east.
Inappropriate Grazing
Fens are sensitive to changes in grazing levels. Over-grazing can result in
excessive poaching, nutrient enrichment and eventual changes to fens and
agricultural grassland. Conversely, many fens in the Lough Neagh Wetlands
suffer from under-grazing, resulting in a loss of low growing plant communities
and loss of fen to reedbed or woodland and an eventual drying out of the site.
Water Quality
Eutrophication as a result of nutrient enrichment from intensively managed
farmland results in the replacement of important fen plant communities and
associated invertebrate species with less demanding species of lower
conservation value. However it is hoped that all waters will achieve good
ecological status by 2015 with the implementation of the E U Water Framework
Directive.
Infilling
Infilling for agricultural land reclamation, waste disposal or development affects
fens. This directly results in the loss of extent and quality of fen vegetation, and
can affect water-levels and water quality over a wide area. Infilling occurs over
wetland in the South Lough Neagh area, a proportion of which could be classified
as fen. This has caused the loss and fragmentation of the habitats there and
elsewhere.
Peat Cutting
Peat-cutting has affected the character of many important fen sites. Although this
has largely ceased, without appropriate management, the biodiversity associated
with many sites will continue to deteriorate due to vegetation succession resulting
in the loss of open water and more open fen habitats.
Natural Succession
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
One of the main natural losses of fen is to reedbed or wet woodland. Fen often
lies in between these two habitats and as they naturally expand, the fen can
deteriorate and become consumed by one or other habitat.
Opportunities
Habitat Creation on former peat extraction sites
As noted above, fen habitat has been affected by peat extraction in the past.
Opportunities now exist to create fen on suitable land adjacent to existing habitat
in the Lough Neagh Wetlands, by targeting appropriate former peat extraction
sites.. Many fens in Northern Ireland have been created on former raised bog
where peat-cutting has taken place. However, without adequate management
following the cessation of peat cutting, natural succession to scrub has probably
resulted in a general reduction in quality of this habitat.
Raise awareness of Nutrient Management
Promote need for Nutrient Management Plans in fen catchment areas to promote
water quality.
Restore and/or manage habitat
Identify areas of good quality habitat, and areas containing degraded fen or fen
that is under threat from drying out, and prioritize for restoration and
management. Produce and implement management and or restoration plans,
and include plans to link up fragmented fens. Monitor key sites which are at risk
from illegal dumping and/or infilling.
Raise awareness of the habitat
Raise awareness of the importance of the habitat through designating Local
Nature Reserve(s).
Map and register the location of all sites in the area
Map the location of fen in the Lough Neagh Wetlands. Compile a register of all
fens in the Lough Neagh Wetlands.
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
Fen - Objectives & Targets
Objectives & Targets
OBJECTIVE
TARGET
F/01
Identify & Map all existing Fen within the Lough Neagh Wetlands
2009
F/02
Maintain extent and condition of Fen in the LNW
2013
F/03
Restore Fen in Lough Neagh Wetlands
2013
F/04
Create new Fen habitat
2013
F/05
Raise awareness of the value of this habitat for biodiversity
2013
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
Actions
ACTION
F/A1
F/A2
F/A3
LEAD
PARTNER
Designate Traad Point as a Local Nature Reserve and produce and
implement a management plan to manage Fen
Designate Washing Bay as a Local Nature Reserve and produce and
implement a management plan to manage Fen
MDC
DSTBC
Map the location of all sites in the Lough Neagh Wetlands and store
information on the Lough Neagh Wetlands GIS
Develop a Watchdog Programme to engage the local community in
monitoring key sites at risk from illegal dumping/ and/or infilling
LNAC
Identify important fen habitat, including those sites that have been
degraded, fragmented, or that exist as current peat extraction sites
where habitat creation and restoration is possible, and prioritize for
restoration and management. Then produce and implement habitat
creation, management and/or restoration plans for contiguous blocks
of land, next to good quality Fen and link up fragmented sites
Hold one event at Traad the Washing Bay Local Nature Reserve to
promote the biodiversity value of Fen
LNAC
F/A7
Hold one event at the Washing Bay Local Nature Reserve to promote
the biodiversity value of Fen
DSTBC
F/A8
Establish 1 demonstration site to transfer knowledge of applied
restoration and management of Fen habitat and hold 1 training
programme on the conservation, management and restoration of Fen
habitat
EHS
F/A9
Write 5 articles (1 per year) to promote the biodiversity value of Fen,
and highlight the threats that exists to the habitat from practices both
on site and taking place adjacent to fens
LNAC
F/A4
F/A5
F/A6
LNP
MDC
PARTNERS
EHS / LNAC /
LNP
EHS / LNAC /
LNP / Muintir na
Mointeach
EHS / LNP /
CBC
LNAC / MDC /
CDC / D&STBC /
CBC / LCC / ABC
/ BBC
DARD / EHS /
FWAG / LNAC /
LNP / RSPB /
CBC
TO BE
ACHIEVED BY
31st Dec:
2008
OBJECTIVES MET
F/02 / F/05
2008
F/02 / F/05
2008
F/01
2008
F/02 / F/05
2010
F/02 / F/03 / F/04
EHS / LNAC /
LNP
2010
F/05
EHS / LNAC /
LNP / Muintir na
Mointeach
CVNI / DARD /
FWAG / LNAC /
LNP / Rivers
Agency / RSPB /
CBC
DARD / EHS /
FWAG / LNP /
RSPB / CBC
2010
F/05
2010
F/02 / F/03 / F/05
2013
F/05
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
F/A10
Raise awareness, on an annual basis, among agri-environment
scheme advisors of the need to promote the take-up of agrienvironment options that benefit Fen and associated priority species
in the Lough Neagh Wetlands.
LNAC
DARD / EHS /
FWAG / LNP /
RSPB
Lough Neagh Wetlands Fen Habitat Action Plan
2013
F/05