Heathland & Bogs
Heathland & Bogs
Like much of the uplands in Northern Ireland, the highest parts of the Belfast Hills are covered by a mosaic of Upland Heath and Blanket Bog. These are habitats which develop on thin acid soils, often shaped by human interventions over the last few thousand years.
Heathland is habitat usually dominated by heather and other small shrubs, and can be Wet Heath or Dry Heath, depending on the soil conditions.
Dry Heath is usually dominated by heather, Bell Heather, grasses and shrubs such as gorse. Wet Heath may be similar, but is on wetter peaty soil, and may contain plants more suited to such conditions, such as Cross-Leaved Heath, Deer Grass and Bog Myrtle.
Blanket bog is habitat that is often dominated by certain species of Sphagnum moss, and may contain Cross-Leaved Heath and cotton-grasses, especially Hare’s Tail Cotton-grass.
Bog and Wet Heath are generally on peaty soil. Bogs generally get their moisture mainly from rain-water, and are usually very low in nutrients, whereas Heath is still usually in contact with ground-water, and has more nutrients. Dry Heath is often on free-draining soils, with little peat. Often these habitats form a mosaic with each other, and can harbour a range of other species, including carnivorous plants such as sundews, which allows them to survive in areas of low nutrient levels.
The Heathland and Bog on Divis & the Black Mountain form an important site for ground-nesting birds, especially skylarks and meadow pipits, both of which are of conservation concern.
Both Heathland and Bog are at risk from agricultural intensification, forestry plantations, pollution, and climate change (especially hotter drier summers), and ground-nesting birds are particularly vulnerable to disturbance by dogs. Upland blanket bogs and Lowland raised bogs are vulnerable to peat extraction, which is often used as garden compost. Using peat-free compost in your garden is one way you can help protect bogs and other peatland sites. Both Heathland and Bog are also particularly vulnerable to trampling, and we would encourage visitors to stick to paths where possible.
