GORSE HEATH/BRACKEN MOSAIC

Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: a mosaic of gorse heath and bracken patches, each covering more than 25% of the ground.
Habitat examples: Click on an image to enlarge.
     
Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: distribution in Northern Ireland.
Gorse heath/bracken mosaic covers less than 0.1% of NI (888 ha), (Table below). It is a largely upland habitat (0.1%) mainly in the Mourne AONB (0.6%) and Slieve Gullion (0.5%).
Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: predicted distribution map (1998).
Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: net change 1991 - 1998.
There was a net overall 34% decrease in the area of Gorse heath/bracken mosaic in NI (-466 ha), largely due to a 61% decrease (581 ha) in the Mourne AONB.
Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: summary of losses and gains 1991 - 1998.

Gorse heath/bracken mosaic: main losses and gains 1991 - 1998.
Loss of Gorse heath/bracken mosaic was mainly by either gorse or bracken development to Continuous gorse or Continuous bracken habitats. 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  %
38 3       Scrub - dense 0    
29 2 *     Scrub - scattered 0    
3 <1       Species-rich dry grassland 65 <1  
112 8 *     Bent/fescue grassland 40 <1  
0         Bracken - scattered 69 2  
253 19       Bracken - continous 0    
0         Gorse heath - scattered 44 1  
225 17 *     Gorse heath - continuous 11 <1  
Note : % = percentage of 1991 habitat area.
           * = indicates significant transition (p = 0.05).
          nc = not calculated.
 
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