The conservation status of the Lough Fad blanket bog to the south-west of Lough Derg
Dublin Core
Title
The conservation status of the Lough Fad blanket bog to the south-west of Lough Derg
Subject
Lough Derg--Region--Lough Fad Bog--Nature Reserve
Description
The conservation status of the Lough Fad Bog National Heritage Area (NHA)
Creator
National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland
Source
Site Synopsis, Lough Fad Bog National Heritage Area (NHA) entry
Publisher
National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland
Date
9 December 2003
Rights
CC BY 4.0 International License
Format
Environmental National Heritage Area (NHA) entry
Language
English
Type
Biodiversity database
Identifier
DD_0300
Coverage
54.5797, -7.93149
References
Site code: 001159
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
The primary landuse of the site is sheep grazing and in some areas the bog is heavily overgrazed. Localised peat cutting also occurs. These activities have resulted in habitat loss and have been detrimental to the hydrological condition of the site. They continue to pose a potential threat to the conservation of the site. Plantation forestry is common on the blanket bogs in the immediate vicinity of this site.
Lough Fad Bog NHA is a site of considerable conservation significance comprising a large area of relatively intact blanket bog. Blanket bog habitat is a globally scarce resource. It is largely confined to coastal regions at temperate latitudes with cool,
wet, oceanic climates. North-west Europe contains some of the best-developed areas of blanket bog in the world. The most extensive areas are found in Ireland and Britain. Upland blanket bogs, due to their exposure to severe climatic conditions at high elevations, are particularly vulnerable to erosion by human activities and extensive areas are currently undergoing active erosion due mainly to overgrazing. The current area of intact upland blanket bog in Ireland represents only a fraction of the original resource, due to the combined impacts of afforestation and overgrazing, and intact examples are therefore extremely valuable for nature conservation. Their long-term survival requires sensitive management. Lowland blanket bog comprises less than 3% of the world’s peatlands. In Europe this type of blanket bog is restricted to Ireland, Britain, Norway and Iceland. The lowland blanket bog that occurs in Ireland is considered to be an extreme hyperoceanic variant of the habitat type, found nowhere else in the world except on the coastal fringes of north-west Scotland. Flushes, lakes, streams, acid grassland and wet heath add significantly to the habitat
diversity of this site and enhance its conservation value. The site also supports a number of plant species that are very local in their distribution in Co. Donegal, including Cranberry, Long-stalked Yellow-sedge and Dioecious Sedge, and provides suitable habitat for several notable birds and animals, including Golden Plover, Hen Harrier, Red Grouse, Atlantic Salmon, Otter and Badger.
Lough Fad Bog NHA is a site of considerable conservation significance comprising a large area of relatively intact blanket bog. Blanket bog habitat is a globally scarce resource. It is largely confined to coastal regions at temperate latitudes with cool,
wet, oceanic climates. North-west Europe contains some of the best-developed areas of blanket bog in the world. The most extensive areas are found in Ireland and Britain. Upland blanket bogs, due to their exposure to severe climatic conditions at high elevations, are particularly vulnerable to erosion by human activities and extensive areas are currently undergoing active erosion due mainly to overgrazing. The current area of intact upland blanket bog in Ireland represents only a fraction of the original resource, due to the combined impacts of afforestation and overgrazing, and intact examples are therefore extremely valuable for nature conservation. Their long-term survival requires sensitive management. Lowland blanket bog comprises less than 3% of the world’s peatlands. In Europe this type of blanket bog is restricted to Ireland, Britain, Norway and Iceland. The lowland blanket bog that occurs in Ireland is considered to be an extreme hyperoceanic variant of the habitat type, found nowhere else in the world except on the coastal fringes of north-west Scotland. Flushes, lakes, streams, acid grassland and wet heath add significantly to the habitat
diversity of this site and enhance its conservation value. The site also supports a number of plant species that are very local in their distribution in Co. Donegal, including Cranberry, Long-stalked Yellow-sedge and Dioecious Sedge, and provides suitable habitat for several notable birds and animals, including Golden Plover, Hen Harrier, Red Grouse, Atlantic Salmon, Otter and Badger.
Original Format
Biodiversity database
Citation
National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland, “The conservation status of the Lough Fad blanket bog to the south-west of Lough Derg,” Digital Derg: A Deep Map, accessed April 24, 2024, https://digitalderg.eu/items/show/320.