West Clare Uplands (27333)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: West Clare Uplands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.8000, Longitude: -9.2667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 380
Area of KBA (km2): 283.74258
Protected area coverage (%): 3.24
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The land rises to moorland hills of Slievecallan and Ben Dash. Surrounding land is a mix of pasture, silage and coniferous habitats. There is very little settlement. Areas become increasingly rural away from the coast. The uplands are very exposed, valleys contained but unenclosed. It is an upland area, composed of hills with quite extensive plateaux in parts. Broad valleys are found between upland areas and are aligned northeast-southwest. Peats are the most common soil type with gleys in lower areas and very limited pockets of brown earths. The area is extensively afforested, largely with coniferous plantations. This is interspersed with blanket bog and marshy areas, and quite large amounts of more recent planting. Land use on the lower areas is a mixture of pasture and silage production. Doon Lough is the largest water body within the area..
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Recent planting of plantation forestry appears to be benefitting Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus.