CORS BODEILIO SITE OF SPECIAL
SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
What is ‘special’ about Cors Bodeilio SSSI?
Cors Bodeilio
has 4
special features.
As well as the features listed
above, Cors Bodeilio has
other habitat features that contribute to the special interest. These include
hedges and areas of scrub along with grassland, pools and ditches and a
derelict barn. This mixture of habitats is important for much of the wildlife
including grassland fungi, lapwing, barn owl, hen harrier and marsh harrier and
these too are key components of the special interest of the site. Unless specified below, management of this
site should aim to look after these habitats as well as the listed features of
interest.
The
site will continue to have at least 47 ha of tall sedge and spring flushed fen
(largely without scrub or tree cover), characterised in part by great fen sedge
and elsewhere by mixtures of black bog-rush and blunt-flowered rush, or swamps
of bottle sedge and brown mosses. Small patches of open water within the fen
will be encouraged for the benefit of medicinal leeches and stoneworts.
Patches of willow and birch scrub will be tolerated but should not exceed 10%
of the fen area. The fields at Ynys in the centre of the site should develop an
increasing proportion of semi-natural grassland species such as crested
dogs-tail and knapweed. The stream running through the centre of the site
should retain its native plant communities and present channel and flow
character. It should be unpolluted. The site should support a rich variety of
invertebrates including variable damselflies and medicinal leech. Lapwing,
snipe, curlew, barn owl and skylark should nest here with short-eared owl, hen
and marsh harrier overwintering and the latter
possibly breeding.
What management is needed on Cors Bodeilio SSSI and why?
Although Cors Bodeilio is an excellent
place for wildlife it will only remain so if the necessary management
continues. CCW’s aim is to work with you to ensure
that this management is carried out.
What does this mean in practice?
There are many
factors that could damage the special features at Cors Bodeilio if they
are not properly managed. These are the ones we regard as most important:
Water
level
A high water table level is essential for the survival of wetland
plants and animals. It is therefore important that no work is carried out which
would lower or change in any other way water levels on the site – for example
by widening or deepening ditches. However, some wetland plants and animals
require very shallow surface water or moving groundwater, so deep or prolonged
flooding can destroy these. Raising water levels should not be undertaken
without careful assessment. Equally important is the need to maintain the water
supply to the site through springs, groundwater seepage, ditches and surface
run off. Any actions that would reduce the amount of water entering Cors Bodeilio would be damaging
to the site.
Good water quality (particularly
the concentration of calcium and magnesium and low levels of nitrogen and
phosphorus) is essential for maintenance of the characteristic assemblage of
wetland plants and animals at Cors Bodeilio. Measures to enhance soil fertility within the
catchment of the site are likely to prove harmful to the special interest
features of Cors Bodeilio
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous encourage the spread of strong
growing plants such as floating sweet-grass and common reed which can
out-compete the less common (and more desirable) species of Cors
Bodeilio. This in turn would have a negative effect
upon the animals which depend on these plants. Herbicides and pesticides could
also damage the site’s wildlife, particularly in the aquatic environment.
Water
movement
Gradual movement of water from
springs through the site is essential for the survival of the
spring-water flushed wetland. In order to maintain this important passage of
water through the site, great care in the management of water supply and levels
is needed.
Grazing
Light grazing removes excess plant material and can be beneficial over
much of the site. The most appropriate grazers are cattle or ponies as they can
maintain open areas by limiting scrub development and by light poaching of the
ground. Animal dung provides an important food resource for some invertebrates
and the animals provide occasional blood meals to leeches without serious harm.
There should be no supplementary feeding with silage as this raises nutrient
levels.
Scrub provides nesting places for
birds and shelter for other animals. However too much scrub
can alter the special qualities of the wetland site, smothering the valuable
flora and increasing evaporation of water. Grazing alone may not be
enough to prevent scrub expansion and it may sometimes be necessary to carry
out control manually.
Fire
Fire was used in the past to clear the land and promote new growth.
However uncontrolled fires can damage some plant and animal communities,
particularly mosses and invertebrates. Small, controlled fires in winter may be
used to rejuvenate patches of fen by removing accumulated plant litter and
enabling grazing. Firebreaks may be needed to enable control and to prevent the
spread of wildfires.
Invasive aquatic plants
A
number of invasive non-native aquatic plants such as water fern are now present
on
Finally
Our
knowledge of wildlife is continually improving.
It is possible that new features of value may appear and new management
issues may arise in the future, whilst other issues may disappear. This statement is written with the best
information we have now, but may have to change in the future as our
understanding improves. Any information you can provide on the wildlife of your
site, its management and its conservation would be much appreciated.
If you would like to discuss any
aspect of your SSSI, or have any concerns about your SSSI, please contact your
local CCW office.
Your local office is;
Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru/Countryside Council for
North Region
Llys y Bont,
Ffordd
y Parc,
Parc Menai,
Fax: 01248
679259