CITATION FLANDERS MOSS SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Stirling Site code: 641

NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NS630985

OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series 57 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series 365 & 366

AREA: 859.1 hectares

NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES

Geological: Quaternary geology and geomorphology: Quaternary of Scotland Biological: Bogs: Raised bog Biological: Invertebrates: assemblage Biological: Invertebrates: Spider (Heliophanus dampfi)

DESCRIPTION:

Flanders Moss lies in the Carse of Stirling, 15km west of Stirling, between the villages of Kippen and Thornhill. It is notified for its raised bog, invertebrate and geological interest.

Part of the site falls within the Western Forth Valley Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site. The geological interest lies in the information Flanders Moss provides about sea-level changes during the post-glacial stage of the Quaternary period. This information is contained in the sequence of deposits that underlies the ground surface. These deposits include a fossil beach formed around 9,600 years ago (Main buried Beach). After this beach formed, relative sea-level fell and peat accumulated on its surface. Between about 8,500 and 6,800 years ago relative sea- level rose again during the Main Post-glacial Transgression and flooded the land. During this time the extensive carse deposits of the Forth Valley were deposited on top of the peat. At Flanders Moss, however, peat continued to accumulate, forming one of several small islands across the expanded estuary of the Forth. After the sea withdrew, the peat expanded out across the surface of the carse deposits and developed in other areas as well.

Flanders Moss holds one of the largest areas of near-natural raised bog in Britain and represents a significant proportion of the European resource. Degraded areas of raised bog on the site retain significant nature conservation value and are recovering.

The site is the largest of a few isolated and protected remnants of the lowland raised mire system that once occurred more widely across the Carse of Stirling. This lowland raised mire system was one of the most extensive of its type in Britain. Intact lowland examples of raised mire are becoming increasingly rare and declining in global terms. This makes Flanders Moss, with its biological and geomorphological features, of international importance. A variety of mire conditions are present and collectively they form a functional peatland hydrological unit. Rare features include substantial areas of primary active mire, endotelmic streams (seepage which originates from the mire expanse) and areas of rand and intact lagg fen with their associated plant communities. Drier areas are dominated by ling vulgaris, cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix, and cotton-grass vaginatum. Where the mire surface is wetter, plant communities dominated by actively growing bog- moss notably Sphagnum magellanicum and S. papillosum occur. Flanders Moss also supports other important species of Sphagnum bog-moss including hummocks of the nationally scarce Sphagnum austinii and the aquatic nationally rare Sphagnum majus.

The rich invertebrate fauna is characterised by a distinct lowland element as well as many species characteristic of northern temperate regions. The very rare spider Heliophanus dampfi is an example of this community. In addition, the moss is particularly notable for its . The most conspicuous is the Rannoch brindled beauty lapponaria, a Red Data Book (RDB) species otherwise found only in Argyll, Perthshire and Inverness-shire, whose larvae feed on bog myrtle and heathers. Two very local moths, Bryotropha boreella and Crambus pratella and no less than eight UK BAP Priority species of moth are also found: haworth's minor haworthii, the crescent Celaena leucostigma, the argent and sable Rheumaptera hastata, the sallow Xanthia icteritia, the dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata, the heath rustic Xestia agathina and the neglected rustic Xestia castanea.

NOTIFICATION HISTORY

First notified under the 1949 Act: 1971

Re-notified under the 1981 Act: 14 February 1989 with a 489.7 ha increase in area.

Re-notified under the 1981 Act: 13 April 1995 with 162.7 ha increase in area.

Notification reviewed under the 2004 Act: 5 June 2009

REMARKS Measured area of site corrected (from 859.06 ha).

Flanders Moss SSSI is designated as part of Flanders Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the European habitats listed below:

Habitats: Active raised bog Degraded raised bog still capable of natural regeneration