Surprise Finds in Altadaven Wood
Surprise Finds in Altadaven Wood
I visited Altadaven Wood in south Tyrone, and I am glad I did.
Recently, I decided to visit the Sliabh Beagh area of mid-south Ulster which spans the borders of south Tyrone, west Monaghan and East Fermanagh. It is a low rising upland area with no distinct peaks or topography. What encouraged me to visit this woodland was its archaeological or rather folk history: St Patrick’s Chair. A large sandstone slab shaped like a chair and of course linked to Ireland’s great saint (it is also called St Bridget’s Chair, so take your pick). But admittedly it was not just the rock features that brought me here, it was also the existence of a few interesting records of lichens associated with oceanic climates.
After a 50 minute car journey from Newry through Armagh City and out towards Aughnacloy I parked the car and realised that it was mostly a plantation; my hopes were low. Upon reading the information board and becoming acquainted with the local lore, it made reference to a small fragment of ancient oak woodland which peaked my interest. I ventured in and immediately took note of the few native trees such as hazel completely clad in epiphytes – a good sign. It was when I came to a small stream that I could gaze up on a steep hill face bounding in mature oak trees, mossy hollies and a few poorly ash trees. It didn’t take long to find interesting bryophytes and lichens on an ash and a rowan on the path edge.
Previous records of Graphina ruiziana, an endearing crustose lichen found in unpolluted humid environments was plentiful on young hazel branches, their perithecia (fruiting bodies) remind me of tiny black slugs just sitting atop the thallus expecting them to wriggle. Soon after that, the list of new site, regional and county firsts started to wrack up. Amazingly, I found the ancient woodland lichen Peltigera collina, my first time meeting it and a first for co. Tyrone. Other unbelievable finds included the 2nd Irish record of the bryophillous fungus Endoantria benetecta after finding its first record in Correl Glen in July (stay tuned for a publication on this)!
Since I made the effort to visit this place to see the chair, I made my way to it and by god was I glad. The chair is set within a large larch plantation so I was a bit underwhelmed. Upon meeting the chair I had a look at the bryophytes living on it and despite my doubts, I found the rare temperate rainforest liverwort Pseudomarsupidium decipiens, the first record for the county and my first time seeing it. This was followed by filmy ferns and other oceanic ferns and then as if my luck could improve, the larch supported bounties of the fine oceanic liverwort Lepidozia cupressina! These finds mean very little to the average person, or even to most botanists, but they are unbelievable to me.
I have included a small list of the great records from the place. My expectations were thwarted entirely, since I wasn’t expecting much temperate rainforest diversity, but I was mistaken. I didn’t actually explore the ancient oak woodland fragment that much since it was pretty inaccessible due to the topography and brambles, but I will revisit. I did not expect this non-coastal upland area of south Tyrone to support such amazing temperate rainforest species, but being proved wrong is always good.
It did lead me back to a recurring question however, and one that has plagued ecologists forever: why are organisms distributed in way they are? Why are certain plants not found in places that support excellent habitat?
Regardless, I will be back and I hope that the forestry service protects the place and allows for the native woodland to expand, even of the larch plantation isn’t the worst for biodiversity.
List of interesting records:
- Cololejeunea microscopica – hyper-oceanic liverwort epiphytic on rowan and a regional first
- Endoantria benetecta – a parasitic fungus of the liverwort Lejeunea patens, a county first and 2nd for Ireland
- Lepidozia cupressina – oceanic liverwort on larch and a regional first
- Lejeunea patens – epiphytic on rowan and a site first
- Peltigera collina – a dog lichen on rowan and a regional first
- Plagiochila spinulosa – various habitats and a regional first
- Pseudomarsupidium decepiens – a hyperoceanic liverwort and a county first
- Sticta fuliginosa – epiphytic on ash and a regional first
Pseudomarsupidium decipiens
St. Patrick’s Chair