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Priority Habitats - Fens

This data represents NIEA surveys and may not represent the entire extent of habitat or species across Northern Ireland. The research focused on identifying fens in Counties Down and Armagh where the incidence of inter-drumlin fens is high. These fens are particularly important within Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive. The most extensive and diverse priority Lowland Fens and Reedbeds have also been identified in county Tyrone through surveys by HST. This only represents a partial dataset and does not include the complete priority Lowland Fen and Reedbed resource in Northern Ireland. Where point data only is available for older fen surveys across Northern Ireland, further mapping is required to provide a fuller representation of all priority fen communities in Counties Fermanagh, Derry/Londonderry and Antrim. Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps are largely unrecorded.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Creation Date August 29, 2019, 10:25 (UTC)
Topic Category
  • Farming
  • Environment
  • Geoscientific Information
Lineage

The Fen, swamp and flush Inventory incorporates evidence collected from a research contract to identify and survey areas of lowland fens of high nature conservation value in Counties Down and Armagh together with ongoing surveys by NIEA Conservation Science Habitat Survey Team (HST). Credits: HST - Northern Ireland Environment Agency Down and Armagh Fen Survey – Sheffield University - 1995 Habitat Survey Team, Conservation Science: 1985 - 2014
Frequency of Update Irregular
Contact Name NIEA GIS
Contact Email NIEA.GIS@daera-ni.gov.uk
Additional Information

The dataset is not complete and does not cover the whole of Northern Ireland’s important priority Lowland Fen and Reedbed resource. Lowland fens in Counties Antrim, Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh have not been systematically surveyed and mapped to date and Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps are largely unrecorded and consequently unrepresented in this hazard map.Although a fairly comprehensive survey of Fens in Counties Down and Armagh was undertaken in the mid 1980’s, some of this fen data has still to be updated digitally. Additional fens will be added to the hazard mapping database as point metadata is digitised to reflect areas of these priority habitats on the ground using the most up to date aerial photography. A similar methodology has been used for other habitats where possible, such as grasslands and woodlands. A comprehensive survey of Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps has still to be completed.
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