Derryvore ASSI

Derryvore is of special scientific interest for its wetland flora and fauna. The area is a diverse herb-rich wetland, with a number of unusual fen communuites and several notable species. Unlike many of the other fens in Down and Armagh which tend to be found in inter-drumlin hollows, Derryvore ocurs within the flood-plain of the River Bann and consists of a complex mosaic of fen and swamp communites on cutover peat. Winter flooding of the river helps to maintain the hydrological balance of the various wetland habitats.

Derryvore is an isolated remnant of the once extensive wetland previously found to the south of Lough Neagh before the waterlevel of the lough was lowered during a series of drainage schemes. Derryvore Fen lies in a shallow interdrumlin hollow where impeded drainage results in permanent wet conditions. Much of the surface peat has been harvested resulting in a series of cuttings separated by narrow peat ramparts. These flooded cuttings display successional stages of vegetative infilling ranging from open water to those that are completely grown over by mossy fen carpet. This rich variation of community types is reflected in the high diversity of wetland plants present - a number of which are locally notable.