GORSE HEATH - SCATTERED

Gorse heath - scattered: a heath habitat with European gorse or dwarf gorse covering between 25% and 75% of the ground. It occurs on acidic mineral or thin peaty soils.
Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
     
Gorse heath - scattered: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Scattered gorse heath covers 0.2% of NI (2,291 ha), (Table below). It occurs more in the uplands (0.3%). The Mourne AONB has the highest cover (1.1%).
Gorse heath - scattered: predicted distribution map (1998).
Gorse heath - scattered: net change 1991 - 1998.
There was a significant 46% decrease in the area of Scattered gorse heath throughout NI
(-1,926 ha), a change evident in both upland and lowland landscapes.
Gorse heath - scattered: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Gorse heath - scattered: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.
Loss of Scattered gorse heath was by conversion to grassland habitats. Succession to scrub and woodland habitats by natural colonisation was also apparent. 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  %
56 1       Broadleaf plantation woodland 1 <1  
64 2       Scrub - dense 0    
148 4       Scrub - scattered 4 <1  
151 4       Coniferous plantation 0    
59 1       Species-rich dry grassland 16 <1  
275 7       Bent/fescue grassland 29 <1  
110 3 *     Tall herb/ruderal 0    
137 3 *     Gorse heath - continuous 119 8  
0         Wet heath mosaic 65 <1  
209 5 *     Perennial ryegrass 0    
119 3       Mixed species grassland 1 <1  
406 10 *     Other agricultural grassland 53 <1  
196 5 *     Bare ground/surfaces nc    
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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