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Survey Details for CNWLH045 - 2026-06-09

CNWLH045

Landscape Habitats

Moelfre upland grass and heath mosaic

Conwy

2008-11-03

  • Level 1: Dry (Relatively) Terrestrial Habitats
  • Level 2: Grassland & Marsh
  • Level 3: Mosaic

Monitoring

Q1 - Date of monitoring?

  • 2016-01-15

Q1a - Monitoring undertaken by

  • Stages 1, 2 and 3 change detection, field verification and amendment completed by Environment Systems in conjunction with the local planning authority. Quality Assurance completed by TACP.

Q1b - Has this record been updated following monitoring work?

  • This record remains unchanged following monitoring work

Q1c - Change indicated by

  • No Answer

Q1d - What has changed?

  • No Answer

Q1e - Has the information ever been verified in the field?

  • No

Q2 - Does this area have a special or functional link with an adjacent area?

  • Yes
    • This forms part of a larger upland complex into the Snowdonia National Park SNPLH002.

Q3 - What is the total land area within the boundary (in hectares)?

  • 355 ha

Description

Q4 - What are the dominant soil types? (specify up to 3 types)

  • Podzolic
  • Surface-water gley soils
  • Brown soils

Q5 - What Phase 1 habitat types are present? Only select the five most dominant types and, for each of these, specify below what percentage of the Aspect Area is made up of these.

  • Unimproved Acid Grassland
    • 28%
  • Bracken
    • 8%
  • Dry Acid Heath
    • 22%
  • Dry Heath/Acid Grassland Mosaic
    • 15%
  • Acid/Neutral Flush
    • 5%

Q6 - Does the area contain habitats of international importance?

  • Yes

Q7 - If yes, which habitats of international importance?

  • Dry heaths

Q8 - Does the area contain BAP habitats?

  • Yes

Q9 - If yes, which BAP habitats?

  • Upland Heathland

Q10 - Does the area contain protected sites?

  • Yes
    • Local Wildlife Site(308.37ha)

Q11 - If yes, which ones?

  • Local wildlife site

Q12 - Approximately what proportion of the Aspect Area is within the protected site?

  • 81-90%
    • 86.92%

Q13 - Does the area support important species?

  • Not known

Q14 - If yes, which species? (for each of the species, also note the source of information)

  • No species records were found for this area.

Q15 - Are there any significant threat species present in abundance? (Field visit required)

  • Not known

Q16 - What other features significantly influence the biodiversity in this area?

  • Streams

Q17 - Are any of these features in a very good condition? (Field visit required)

  • Unknown

Q18 - Are any of these features in a poor condition? (Field visit required)

  • No Answer

Q19 - What are the main land management activities taking place in the area? (Field visit required)

  • Stock grazing

Q20 - Do any of the above appear to have an appreciable positive impact on biodiversity? (Field visit required)

  • None

Q21 - Do any of the above appear to have an appreciable negative impact on biodiversity? (Field visit required)

  • Some
    • In certain areas grazing pressure by sheep may be a little high and may be leading to a loss of native species.

Q22 - Is the biodiversity in the area in any way threatened?

  • Not known

Q23 - Are there clear opportunities to improve the biodiversity aspect of this area?

  • Yes
    • There is further opportunity to reducing grazing pressure to allow native species to regain prominence.

Q24 - Summarise the key features that define this area's biodiversity character

  • A large area of unenclosed upland grassland and heathland inland from Penmaen Mawr, rising to 453m on Moelfre summit, but extending down almost to sea-level on the wooded lower slopes of Penmaen Mawr quarry. The hill vegetation is a mixture of acid grassland on the lower slopes and flatter areas, with bilberry dominated heath on the higher slopes. There is only a little heather. The area appears well grazed.

Condition

Q25 - Value

  • High
    • A valuable upland grassland and heathland habitat, although appears subject to heavy grazing, with much evidence of trafficking and winter feeding on the hill. The broadleaved woodland is at lower level, and bordered by scree slopes.

Q26 - Condition

  • Unassessed

Q27 - Trend

  • Constant

Recommendations

Q28 - Existing management

  • Generally Appropriate

Q29 - Existing management remarks:

  • This upland area is grazed mainly by sheep.

Q30 - Principal management recommendations

  • On semi-natural neutral grasslands promote traditional management, to allow further heath species to regain prominence.

Q31 - Guideline

  • Immediate
    • Reduce fertiliser usage on areas surrounding native habitats
  • Medium Term
    • Reducing grazing pressure to allow native species to regain prominence
  • Immediate
    • Keep feed sites off sensitive natural habiatats

Aspect Area Boundary

Q32 - To what level was this information site-surveyed?

  • Level 3

Q33 - At 1:10,000, how much of the Aspect Area boundary is precise?

  • All

Q34 - What baseline information source was used for Aspect Area boundary mapping?

  • OS Raster

Q35 - If OS Data was used, what was the scale?

  • 1:10,000

Q36 - What is the justification for the Aspect Area boundaries?

  • The area is bounded on the north by the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) and to the south by the change to more lowland type habitats.

Evaluation

Q37 - Evaluation Criteria: Priority Habitats

  • High
    • A good proportion of nationally important vegetation types are present.

Q38 - Evaluation Criteria: Significance

  • High
    • The area has some areas of dry heath communities.

Q39 - Evaluation Criteria: Opportunity

  • Moderate
    • Further management of grazing could result in more heath species returning to the acid grassland swards.

Q40 - Evaluation Criteria: Expansion rates

  • Unassessed

Q41 - Evaluation Criteria: Sensitivity

  • Unassessed

Q42 - Evaluation Criteria: Connectivity/Cohesion

  • Moderate
    • This area has a good degree of connectivity through the semi-natural habitats.

Q43 - Evaluation Criteria: Habitat Evaluation

  • High
    • An area with important upland habitat types.

Q44 - Evaluation Criteria: Importance for key species

  • Unassessed

Q45 - Evaluation Criteria: Overall Evaluation Habitat and Species

  • High
    • A mosaic of upland habitats which should support a good range of upland species.

Q45a - Justification of overall evaluation

  • A valuable upland grassland and heathland habitat, although appears subject to heavy grazing, with much evidence of trafficking and winter feeding on the hill. The broadleaved woodland is at lower level, and bordered by scree slopes.

Bibliography

Q46 - Sources and additional assessments

  • Vexcel 2006 aerial photography, Getmapping - Millenium Map digital aerial photography. CCW - Phase 1 Habitat vector GIS data set. Countryside Council for Wales Species Information, Conwy BAP species; various data sets from NBN Gateway including: Mammal records from Britain from the Atlas of Mammals (1993), with some subsequent records, Rare Flowering Plant and Fern Data, Botanical Society of the British Isles; Vascular Plants Database; Bat sites inventory for Britain, Natural England; Dormouse site inventory, Natural England. Wildlife Site/SINC data used within this project were collated by Local Environmental Records Centres Wales on behalf of the various Local Authorities and Wildlife Trusts involved in the site designation process.

Assessment

Q47 - Additional Assessments

  • An upland area of heath and acid grassland.

Q48 - Additional Comments

  • Species records used in the study are not comprehensive and the absence of species in an area may well be an indication of incomplete records rather than a true lack. Land managers, developers, planners and other land users will need to satisfy themselves as to the occurrence of such species within the area if existing land management or management changes might affect these species in the future. A first step to procuring this data will be to consult with the local biodiversity records centre.