GORSE HEATH - CONTINOUS

Gorse heath - continuous: a heath habitat with European gorse or dwarf gorse covering more than 75% of the ground. It occurs on acidic mineral or thin peaty soils.

Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
     
Gorse heath - continuous: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Continuous gorse heath covers 0.1% of NI (1,519 ha), (Table below) with the uplands containing most (0.3%). This habitat occurs mainly in the Mourne AONB (1.1%) and in Slieve Gullion (0.3%).
Gorse heath - continuous: predicted distribution map (1998).
Gorse heath - continuous: net change 1991 - 1998.
The area of Gorse heath - continuous increased by 8% (109 ha) in NI, notably in the Mourne AONB (73%, 283 ha).
Gorse heath - continuous: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Gorse heath - continuous: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.
Gains in Gorse heath - continous were mainly by gorse development in habitats where it was scattered or formed mosaics at baseline survey. Loss was mainly by clearance. 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  %
47 3       Scrub - dense 0    
11 <1       Gorse heath/Bracken mosaic 225 17 *
119 8       Gorse heath - scattered 137 3 *
0         Wet heath mosaic 30 <1  
0         Wet heath 103 <1  
57 4       Perennial ryegrass 10 <1  
101 7       Other agricultural grassland 6 <1  
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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