PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

Perennial ryegrass: grassland in which perennial ryegrass is dominant (>25%), often with white clover. It is often managed for silage and has a low species diversity.
Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
     
Perennial ryegrass: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Perennial ryegrass covers 36.7% (497,548 ha) of NI (Table below). The lowlands contain most and have a greater percentage cover (44.5%) compared with the uplands (21.1%).
Perennial ryegrass: predicted distribution map (1998).
Perennial ryegrass: net change 1991 - 1998.
Perennial ryegrass habitat has increased significantly in NI by 23% (94,368 ha). There was a significant increase in the uplands of 48% (30,662 ha).
Perennial ryegrass: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Perennial ryegrass: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.
The main losses in Perennial ryegrass were by conversion to Italian/perennial ryegrass and the development of Other agricultural grassland. The main gains were by conversion from the usually less intensively managed Other agricultural grassland and land use change from Cereals. Habitats in the losses and gains table below are linked to their descriptors and NI data. Full details of all losses and gains are given in the technical report.
 
Losses
(1991 - 98)		 Habitats Gains
(1991 - 98)
ha  % ha  %
17 <1       Broadleaf seminatural woodland 404 2  
1083 <1 *     Broadleaf plantation woodland 5 <1  
6 <1       Scrub - dense 116 3 *
68 <1 *     Scrub - scattered 144 2 *
239 <1       Mixed plantation woodland 13 <1  
250 <1       Coniferous plantation 10 <1 *
0         Species-rich dry grassland 959 13  
0         Species-rich wet grassland 1059 5 *
0         Bent/fescue grassland 362 3 *
192 <1 *     Tall herb/ruderal 1052 11 *
0         Gorse heath - scattered 209 5 *
0         Wet heath mosaic 313 1 *
0         Dry bog 683 2  
20 <1       Poor fen 864 3 *
13662 3 *     Cereals 24027 47 *
3013 <1 *     Other crops/vegetables 6985 52 *
37637 9 *     Italian/perennial ryegrass 12373 51 *
4384 1 *     Ploughed land 5145 43 *
3553 <1 *     Mixed species grassland 16666 37 *
34900 9 *     Other agricultural grassland 124239 40 *
3278 <1 *     Buildings/curtilage nc    
194 <1 *     Roads/tracks/verge nc    
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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