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The site was visited on 9 September 1994. This is an acceptable time of year for botanical survey work on raised bogs since most indicator species are present then. The whole of the bog area lying between the Glenullin Water and Glenullin Road was surveyed.
The following records were made: A. The extent of the cut-away areas was mapped. B. All plant species encountered during the walk were recorded. Separate lists were made for the cupola and the cutaway areas. During these investigations it was found that adjacent to the Glenullin Water on the northern edge of the bog there was fen type vegetation present on a mineral soil overlain by only a thin discontinuous layer of peat. A separate species list was made for this area. C. Ten random 1m² quadrats were placed on the cupola on both sides of the principal drain. In each quadrat the cover of each species present and the cover of bare peat was estimated and recorded using the DOMIN scale (Poore, 1955). The aim of these quadrat placements was to: 1. Ascertain the amount of vegetation cover in relation to bare peat on the cupola. 2. To discover if there was any spatial variation in the amount of vegetation regeneration on the cupola surface. 3. To discover if there were any differences in the vegetation regeneration between the two sides of the cupola which may be related to hydrological variation observed on the site. 4. To provide a monitoring baseline against which further regeneration of the surface vegetation can be compared.
Quadrats recorded on the cupola surface. Species cover in the quadrats was scored by using the DOMIN scale 1. 1-2 individuals
Quadrat number and location description 1. Very wet stripped area on western side.
Additional species located in the cut-away areas Bryophytes and lichens:
Grasses, rushes and sedges: Carex flacca
Flowering plants; Betula sp.
Species located in the lagg fen area along the Glenullin water. Bryophytes Aulacomium palustre
Grasses, rushes and sedges Agrostis stolonifera
Flowering plants; Angelica sylvestris
The cupola surface has retained a high water table despite the attempt to drain it. This high and relatively stable water table has facilitated a rapid recovery of the bog vegetation. The quadrats recorded show that total vegetation cover of the surface varies between 75% (wet areas) and 25% (in the driest areas). Most parts have a vegetation cover of around 50%. The plants recorded were those typically found on an intact bog and there was a good balance between the species typical of wet aeas such as the Sphagnum sp. and Narthecium ossifragum and those associated with dry areas such as Calluna vulgaris.
Sphagnum species were found to be recovering well with development spreading from fragments left behind after the surface vegetation was removed. The occasional larger hummock was found which had escaped removal. These appear to be acting as centres for the on-going recovery process. In total, 7 species of Sphagnum were recorded on the cupola including the principal hummock building species Sphagnum papillosum, S, magellanicum and S. subnitens. A total 20 species were recorded on the cupola. These included most of the constant and companion species recorded for raised bogs in Northern Ireland by Leach and Corbett (1987) and also in Britain in the National Vegetation Classification (Rodwell, 1991) Molinea caerulea was present in only one quadrat. This is a highly invasive species which comes to dominate areas with low or highly fluctuating water tables (Schouwenaars, 1988). Its near absence and the high cover of Eriophorum species recorded indicates the continuation of stable wet conditions which are needed for ombrotrophic bog vegetation development.
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| Glenullin & Agivey Conservation and Development Group |