SPECIES-RICH WET GRASSLAND

Species-rich wet grassland: poorly-drained grassland with soft rush, sharp-flowered or jointed rush, often with a high cover of creeping bent-grass, common sedge or rough meadow-grass. Characteristic species are meadow buttercup, cuckoo flower, lesser spearwort, yellow flag, marsh marigold, creeping Jenny, marsh cinquefoil, watermint, sedges, ragged robin, marsh violet, marsh ragweed, meadowsweet, marsh horsetail and marsh stitchwort.
Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
     
Species-rich wet grassland: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Species-rich wet grassland covers 1.0% of NI (13,808 ha), (Table below). It occurs in both lowland and upland landscapes and is most common in Fermanagh District (3.3%).
Species-rich wet grassland: predicted distribution map (1998).
Species-rich wet grassland: net change 1991 - 1998.
There were large significant decreases in the area of Species-rich wet grassland throughout NI (-37%, -7,957 ha), particularly in the uplands (-53%, -3,853 ha).
Species-rich wet grassland: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Species-rich wet grassland: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.
Loss of Species-rich wet grassland was mainly by conversion to grasslands with more agriculturally preferred species. Loss to poor fen is indicative of a reduced number of characteristic species and an increased cover of rushes. 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  %
46 <1 *     Broadleaf seminatural woodland 28 <1  
29 <1       Fen carr 0    
307 1 *     Scrub - scattered 25 <1  
366 2       Coniferous plantation 1 <1  
304 1 *     Fen meadow 122 2  
306 1 *     Tall herb/ruderal 0    
1640 8 *     Poor fen 26 <1  
66 <1       Fen 64 2 *
70 <1       Reedbeds 0    
0         Water inundation vegetation 91 40  
139 <1       Italian/perennial ryegrass 0    
1059 5 *     Perennial ryegrass 0    
387 2       Mixed species grassland 142 <1  
4945 23 *     Other agricultural grassland 1401 <1 *
96 <1 *     Buildings/curtilage nc    
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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