Flanders Moss
Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve | |
---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1] | |
Location within Stirling | |
Location | Stirling, Scotland |
Coordinates | 56°09′32″N 4°12′00″W / 56.159°N 4.200°W |
Area | 822 ha (2,030 acres)[2] |
Established | 1982[1] |
Governing body | NatureScot |
Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve |
Flanders Moss (
As well as being an important habitat for wildlife, Flanders Moss also plays a key role for carbon sequestration acting as a carbon sink.[6]
Flora and fauna
The bog is composed of an underlayer of
The bog is home to many species of invertebrates, especially moths: 215 species of moth have been recorded here, including rare species such as
History
The enclosure at Ballangrew on the western edge of the moss may have served as a hunting lodge during the mediaeval period. During the 18th and early 19th centuries objects dating from the Bronze Age to the Roman period were found in the vicinity of Ballangrew, including a Bronze Age cauldron made of beaten bronze.[12]
There are a number of other archaeological sites surrounding the moss, many of which consist of ditches, peat banks and dams used to drain the land to improve it for agriculture.[11] During the 18th century, drainage of the land was encouraged by the lawyer, historian and improver Henry Home, Lord Kames,[13] but a substantial portion survived this development at two sites - West Flanders Moss and East Flanders Moss.
The Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway was built through West Flanders Moss. Opening in 1880, the line ran between the villages of Buchlyvie and Gartmore. In the 1970s, the rest of West Flanders Moss was drained and planted with a commercial forest by the Forestry Commission, though much of the plantation is now being removed and the moss restored to its natural state.[14][4]
Management
Flanders Moss is a
NatureScot owns 108 hectares (270 acres) of the reserve, and manage the remaining area via agreements or leases with the other 4 private landowners. NatureScot is seeking to reverse the drying effect of historical ditch construction, peat removal and tree growth. Ditches are being dammed, with the aim of raising the level of the water table to as close to the surface as possible. They agency is also removing trees and non-native rhododendron, focusing on maintaining open areas free of trees, whilst leaving more mature areas of native woodland intact. Sheep are grazed on the reserve to prevent new trees becoming established.[18]
Visitors
The reserve is now visited by around 8000 people each year. There is an access track leading to a car park on the eastern side of the site; here there is a viewing tower and a short (900 m) waymarked trail.[19][20] NatureScot plan to look providing new paths on and around Flanders Moss, aiming to provide longer routes, access to the west side of the moss, and potentially a link to the village of Thornhill.[21]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c "Flanders Moss". Protected Planet. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve". NatureScot. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Database - Flanders Moss". Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ a b "RESTORING A LOWLAND RAISED PEATBOG" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ISBN 0-7486-3513-0.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 29.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 9.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 10.
- ^ a b The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 12.
- ^ a b The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 13
- ^ a b The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 14.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Ballangrew (45371)". Canmore.
- ISBN 0-85976-420-6.
- ^ "An Historical Survey of Lowland Raised Mires, Great Britain" (PDF). DEFRA. 1984. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Flanders Mosses SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 6.
- ISBN 0-7190-5212-2.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. pp. 22-25.
- ^ The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. p. 26.
- ^ "Visit Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Consultation Report on the Management Plan for Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve (NNR) 2016 - 2026" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
Bibliography
- "The Story of Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 28 January 2019.