North Pennine Moors (2557)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: North Pennine Moors
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.6467, Longitude: -2.2885
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 170 to 893
Area of KBA (km2): 3958.384798
Protected area coverage (%): 99.80
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A series of upland moorland sites, straddling the Cumbrian, Durham, North Yorkshire and Northumberland borders. The site is rich in habitat-types, including extensive areas of moorland, associated grassland and blanket bog. Areas of limestone plateau support herb-rich calcareous grassland. The heather Calluna and grass moorlands are predominantly managed for game interests. The IBA is important for breeding raptors, waders and other upland birds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as four separate IBAs (Bowes Moor; Upper Teesdale and Moor House; Bollihope and Middleton Commons; Muggleswick, Stanhope and Wolsingham Commons); renamed as North Pennine Moors and extended in 1992; 2007 combined with Yorkshire Dale Moorlands, using YDM National Park boundary, and both the AONB and SPA boundaries of North Pennine Moors to include large areas of missing in-bye (until further guidelines developed to specify the best was to do this); digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | military | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 | |
| Shrubland | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Persecution/control | Ongoing |