Tagged with: Conservation
Posts (25)
World Wetlands Day
Martin Aaron
Wetlands, those habitats so often neglected and overlooked are the focus of special attention this weekend with World Wetlands Day on February 2.
The Forestry Commission in Wales
Phil Carradice
Phil Carradice examines the sometimes turbulant history of the Forestry Commission in Wales.
World Wetlands Day
Martin Aaron
Today, millions of people around the world will be taking part in activities to mark World Wetlands Day Since 1997 World Wetlands Day has been used to raise public awareness to the values and benefits of wetland habitats. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance called the Ra...
An invasive cost
Martin Aaron
We're a nation obsessed by gardening and plants and I'm no different especially once springs arrives and the sun graces us with its presence, like it did this weekend for much of Wales. I popped down to my local garden centre twice this weekend, partly because it's a nice place to potter and partly because I can never make up my mind what to buy - so have to go home first, refer to the books and then go back! It's a tricky balance deciding what looks good and is practical for your garden and what is good for the environment and native wildlife you are hoping to attract. As you browse the plants in your local garden centre take a careful look at where those plants come from as we've got serious problems in Wales currently with invasive plants destroying native species and strangling the life out of some of our more delicate ecosystems. A new report by Plantlife lists 92 species that are on the brink of becoming invasive and lists 20 sites that are considered at risk in the UK - including Lydstep Headland in the Pembrokeshire National Park, the Great Orme and even Bala Lake. Plantlife is "calling for urgent action to be taken on plants assessed as having invasive potential should they escape 'over the garden wall', by conducting more detailed research to determine the level of threat they pose." Some people reading this might mutter to themselves that it's only a plant and they aren't really going to affect our day to day lives but they'd be wrong. Ecosystems are incredibly sensitive, it only takes one species to be taken out of the equation for the whole thing to be tipped on its head. In this case it could be a particular plant or tree taking over an area preventing other species from growing which has a knock on effect for everything else, from the insects right up to the birds, mammals and fish that feed on them. Invasive plants can also cause irritable rashes and burns to our skin and even increase the risk of flooding as drainage ditches and waterways become clogged up and let's face it - we could all do without any more flooding. The large-flowered waterweed - popular in fish tanks is one such species that is now causing problems in our waterways, particularly in Cornwall which isn't too far away. Rhododendron ponticum actually poisons the soil around it so other plants can't grow there and as a result, wildlife habitats diminish. New Zealand pigmy weed is thought to be directly responsible for the loss of a native fern in Suffolk and also, the internationally important - great crested newts which have disappeared from a pond in Dorset so this is a very real problem for our native wildlife. Anglers could also suffer as ponds and rivers become stagnated and devoid of fish life as oxygen levels drop. The problem is so serious that in some cases, conservationists are opting to fill in ponds as soon as pigmyweed is found, in order to save other nearby ponds and streams. "On the Great Orme, several non-native cotoneasters along with strawberry-tree, turkey oak and evergreen oak are invading areas of this internationally important limestone headland where nationally and locally threatened native plants occur." "At Lydstep Head in Pembrokeshire, populations of the vulnerable liverwort green blackwort have declined following encroachment by the small-leaved cotoneaster microphyllus agg." "The liverwort is now restricted to a single very narrow path on the site and removal of cotoneasteris required to prevent shading of the remaining colonies. Only a handful of sites in the UK support the liverwort." It's worth doing some reading up on this subject though, so you're aware of what to look out for at your local fishing spot or how to dispose of plants properly. Invasive species already cause enormous problems to our native plants and wildlife but also cost the British economy around £1.7 billion every year. And on a purely practical level it could mean you have to do less gardening as there is nothing more frustrating that digging up Japansese knotweed! Download the new Plantlife report. Read the invasive plants article on our website. Gull
Breaking the habit
Martin Aaron
We might just see another Welsh island stronghold for red squirrels in the not so distant future.. Those wise monks on Caldey Island, off the coast of Tenby have devised plans to re-introduce red squirrels to the island. Caldey Island by Tracey Cole. It's generally agreed by every...
Sea slugs are flourishing
Martin Aaron
Although slugs are not considered to be the most exotic of creatures, their cousins the sea slugs are a completely different prospect. A recent report by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) about sea slugs at Skomer Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) has revealed that sea slugs are flourishing - with a huge variety of these attractive, striking species being recorded (66% of UK species represented in an area of just 13.2 square kilometres). CCW Assistant Marine Nature Reserve Officer Kate Lock said: "Sea slugs are specialised predators, each having their own particular food choice, which can be either plants or other animals". Crimora papillata pair. Image by CCW. "The high number of sea slug species means that there must also be all the different foods present too. This is a great indication that the health of the Marine Reserve is really good and that the conservation of this part of the sea is proving a huge success for wildlife". During the 2010 survey a wide range of habitats, in all conditions, were searched to find the sea slugs. Some can be hard to find as they are both very small and well camouflaged, and quite often the only clue to their presence is their eggs or prey species. There are some nice underwater video clips on You Tube from CCW too. Coryphella lineata by CCW Visit Skomer MNR's exhibition at Martin's Haven to see the beauty of the underwater world and find out more about techniques used to survey and monitor marine wildlife. Opening times: From Easter to November - 10.00 until 16.00 everyday. Winter opening times vary, but normally 10.00 until 16.00 on weekdays. Find out more about Martin's Haven. Watch a video clip about widlife on Skomer Island.
Tree felling project helps rare Powys flower
James McLaren
Efforts to safeguard the population of a very rare winter flower, the Radnor Lily, have been stepped up by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW). Radnor lily. Photo courtesy of CCW. The flower's sole UK habitat is the Stanner Rocks near New Radnor, which are 700 million years old. The rocks are managed by CCW and is a distinctive rounded hill clothed in part by woodland of native trees and pockets of important grassland. Andrew Ferguson, CCW's senior reserve manager of Stanner Rocks, said: "The Radnor Lily has been found, with its very occasional small yellow blooms, along with several other rare species including mosses. They flourish on the relatively arid rocky outcrops and thin soils that create a marginally suitable environment for a selection of wild plants that more typically would grow in northern Mediterranean regions. "Sites like Stanner Rocks deserve special treatment and that's just what the management plan devised by Forestry Commission Wales and the CCW has been delivering. We identified the need to fell blocks of non-native trees and to manage the undergrowth in order to encourage these species to flourish. So a lot of shade was removed from the hill top, thus providing new areas for some rarities to spread." The felling project has also had the benefit of assisting in providing an improved habitat for the Stanner Rocks' other rare species, the Hazel Dormouse and the Southern Wood Ant. "The dormouse's woodland habitat, particularly food and shelter, is provided by plants such as hazel, bramble and honeysuckle that flourish here where there is sufficient light," said Ferguson. "The felling of some heavily-shading trees has allowed light to reach towards the woodland floor, such that hazel nuts and blackberries can ripen for food." "Not only is [the project] good news for many of the special wildlife features of this site, it also provides an outstanding viewpoint for the public from the top of the hill. Walkers can freely access the top via public footpaths that lead from the A44 trunk road without entering very sensitive and potentially hazardous parts of the National Nature Reserve [NNR]." The NNR beyond the level parts of the quarry floor and below the top of the hill is not open to the public. Access within the NNR should be arranged in advance through the Countryside Council for Wales enquiries desk on 0845 1306229.
A bird (box) in the hand
Martin Aaron
Birds in schools across Newport will be offered new homes this winter but they won't get their heating bills paid for! ;) Children in 15 local primary schools are busy building nest boxes where wrens, robins and blue tits can huddle together for warmth during the cold winter months. Nest ...
Habitat help key to safeguarding eel numbers
James McLaren
Environment Agency Wales (EAW) believes that helping eels in their Welsh habitat is the best chance of keeping a domestic population in the face of huge drops across Europe. Eels It is estimated that the English and Welsh eel population has collapsed 70% since the 1980s. Eels spawn in ...
Appeal for Carmarthenshire churchyard fungi
James McLaren
The National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGoW) is asking for help in assessing Carmarthenshire's fungus populations in churchyards. Waxcap fungi Unlike open country and farmland, churchyards don't tend to be intensively managed and are unaffected by agricultural chemicals. Hence, species of fungus such as waxcaps, fair clubs, spindles and earth tongues can thrive in this particular habitat. Bruce Langridge of NBGoW said: "There are more than 400 churchyards in Carmarthenshire but only a few of these are rich in these colourful fungi. "Waxcaps, fairy clubs, spindles and earth tongues only really come out in the autumn and we haven't got time to visit every churchyard. So we desperately need the help of church wardens, vicars, ministers, deacons, people who mow the cemeteries or even dog walkers who pass through... to let me know if they think they've seen these things." Either Langridge or another local expert will attend sites to identify the fungi, log them and offer advice on their continued conservation. Bruce Langridge can be contacted on interpretation@gardenofwales.org.uk or 01558 667162.
