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Survey Details for CYNONLH009 - 2026-06-10

CYNONLH009

Landscape Habitats

N/A

Bridgend-Caerphilly-Rhondda

2000-08-02

  • Level 1: Dry (Relatively) Terrestrial Habitats
  • Level 2: Woodland & Scrub
  • Level 3: Broadleaved Woodland

Monitoring

Q1 - Date of monitoring?

  • 2012-12-01

Q1a - Monitoring undertaken by

  • Environment Systems at monitoring and implementation stages 2 and 3 plus additional consultants at initial change detection stage 1, in consultation with LPA

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?

  • Yes

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

  • Yes
    • Area is linked to areas both north and south of area by the watercourse that flows through it.

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

  • 890 Hectares

Description

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

  • 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.

  • Semi-natural Broadleaved Woodland
    • 35%
  • Planted Coniferous Woodland
    • 3%
  • Dense Scrub
    • 3%
  • Improved Grassland
    • 50%
  • Marshy Grassland
    • 2%

Q6 - Does the area contain habitats of international importance?

  • Not known

Q7 - If yes, which habitats of international importance?

  • No Answer

Q8 - Does the area contain BAP habitats?

  • Yes

Q9 - If yes, which BAP habitats?

  • Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland
  • Purple Moor Grass & Rush Pastures

Q10 - Does the area contain protected sites?

  • Yes
    • SSSI(23.36ha) Local Wildlife Site(336.52ha)

Q11 - If yes, which ones?

  • SSSI
  • Local wildlife site

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

  • 41-50%
    • 40.52%

Q13 - Does the area support important species?

  • Yes

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

  • Marsh Fritillary (Eurodryas aurinia)/ Badger (Meles meles). Bats are also likely to be present.

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

  • Yes
    • Japanese knotweed/Himalayan balsam

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

  • Ponds

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

  • No Answer

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)

  • Cutting
  • Stock grazing
  • Mowing

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
    • Stock grazing will prevent the grassland from reaching higher levels of ecological value.

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?

  • No

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

  • Riparian broadleaved woodland of the Afon Llyfni and tributaries, including some scub and marshy grassland. Includes Cwm Du woodlands SSSI

Condition

Q25 - Value

  • High
    • Areas of semi-natural broadleaved woodland are of high ecological value.

Q26 - Condition

  • Unassessed

Q27 - Trend

  • Constant

Recommendations

Q28 - Existing management

  • Unassessed

Q29 - Existing management remarks:

  • Empty value

Q30 - Principal management recommendations

  • Empty value

Q31 - Guideline

  • Immediate
    • Remove invasive species.
  • Immediate
    • Ensure Marsh Fritilillary area is protected.

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?

  • Other
    • OS raster, OS landline, Phase 1 habitat.

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

  • 1:10,000

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

  • Encompasses a number of areas of Broadleaved woodland and the adjoining habitat.

Evaluation

Q37 - Evaluation Criteria: Priority Habitats

  • High
    • Broadleaved woodland is Priority habitat as is the Purple moor-grass.

Q38 - Evaluation Criteria: Significance

  • Moderate
    • Areas of Broadleaved woodland are know relatively scarce.

Q39 - Evaluation Criteria: Opportunity

  • Moderate
    • The removal of invasive species will improve the area.

Q40 - Evaluation Criteria: Expansion rates

  • Moderate
    • Areas of Broadleaved woodland have declined greatly historically but less so in recent years.

Q41 - Evaluation Criteria: Sensitivity

  • Moderate
    • Some threat from invasive species. Areas of marshy grassland can easily be degraded by over grazing.

Q42 - Evaluation Criteria: Connectivity/Cohesion

  • High
    • Areas of woodland are only fragments of much larger areas.

Q43 - Evaluation Criteria: Habitat Evaluation

  • High
    • Ecologically valuable Priority habitat.

Q44 - Evaluation Criteria: Importance for key species

  • High
    • Marsh Fritillary is of particular imporatance. Bat species and Badger are also of significance.

Q45 - Evaluation Criteria: Overall Evaluation Habitat and Species

  • High
    • Priority habitat supporting key species.

Q45a - Justification of overall evaluation

  • Priority habitat that is to some degree still vulnerable and supports a number of key species. Part of area is worthy of SSSI status.

Bibliography

Q46 - Sources and additional assessments

  • Relevant LBAP, Upland survey. 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

  • Empty value

Q48 - Additional Comments

  • Empty value