COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES
SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST: CITATION
ANGLESEY CORS BODEILIO
National Grid Reference: SH500775
Area: 54
ha
Description:
Cors Bodeilio is a nationally important calcareous mire situated in a
shallow valley between Pentraeth and Llangefni. The mire is supplied with
base-rich water from the surrounding Carboniferous Limestone which has promoted
the development of a range of rich-fen vegetation communities that now overlie
a body of fen peat.
The structure of the vegetation varies in different sections of the
valley mire and fen species including mainly great fen-sedge Cladium
mariscus, black-bog rush Schoenus nigricans, blunt-flowered rush Juncus
subnodulosus, common reed Phragmites communis, sweet gale Myrica
gale and purple moor grass Molinia caerulea are dominant or
co-dominant over large areas. Other sedge communities also occur and in places
characteristic fen bryophyte carpets are well-developed. A notable feature of
Cors Bodeilio is its rich orchid flora which includes the uncommon
narrow-leaved marsh orchid Dactylorchis traunsteineri and fly orchid Ophrys
insectifera growing here in Schoenus communities. The fen also supports a
diverse invertebrate fauna with a variety of rare and uncommon species; it is
particularly rich in Diptera (true flies), aquatic Coleoptera
(beetles) and Lepidoptera (moths).
CCW manages part of this site as a National Nature Reserve.