| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
  Location within Carmarthenshire | |
| Location | Carmarthen & Dinefwr |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SN 354 167 |
| Coordinates | 51°49′30″N4°23′21″W / 51.8251°N 4.3891°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 11.5 hectares (28 acres) |
| Notification | 1973 |
Beacon Bog is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the community of Llangynog in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
Beacon Bog is a small lowland raised bog with an area of 11.5 hectares (28 acres) with a peat depth of up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in the centre, and is also host to several scarce plants. It lies 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south-west of Carmarthen and is common land. The site was designated in 1973. [1]
The main feature of the site is the lowland raised bog, but the site also includes a number of other habitats. The diversity of habitats supports a wide range of flowers, mosses, ferns, insects and fungi. [1] [2]
In addition to the wet bog, the site includes scrub, semi-natural broad-leaved woodland, marshy grassland and standing water. [2]
The wet surface of bog supports growth of bog mosses (Sphagnum spp.). Rare plants include the bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), royal fern (Osmunda regalis), and cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus). The petty whin (Genista anglica) grows on the drier western margin and purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) dominates the drier edges of the site. The rare weevil Bagous frit has been recorded at the site. [1] [2]
The management of a site of special scientific interest such as Beacon Bog requires control of operations that might affect the site, planning of changes to site to enhance it, and dealing with obstacles such as alien species which may damage the site.
A wide variety of operations may affect the site and require consultation with Natural Resources Wales and may also require consent, including activities relating to farming, using pesticides and fertilizers, changes that affect the water table, and the introduction or removal of flora and fauna. The list is not prohibitive, but many activities may be limited to certain areas or times of the year. [3]
Natural Resources Wales would like the raised bog to occupy about 65% of the site and marshy grassland about 15%. Scrub and woodland would be restricted to 20%. Locally native trees, such as willow, of all ages would dominate the woodland, and dead wood can provide an environment for birds, invertebrates, and fungi. The site could also include the Bagous frit weevil and the black bog ant. [2]
Water levels must be maintained to preserve the environment and drainage in nearby farmland may already have had an adverse effect. No new drainage should be installed and maintenance of existing drainage must be monitored. Scrub already encroaches the bog and should be monitored and cut and removed when needed. Rhododendron grows in the bog and is liable to displace native species. It should be removed by hand and the site needs to be checked regularly for new plants. Beacon Bog has been frequently burnt in the past but is now known to be detrimental to invertebrates and should be discontinued. [2]
Cors Caron is a raised bog in Ceredigion, Wales. Cors is the Welsh word for "bog". Cors Caron covers an area of approximately 349 hectares. Cors Caron represents the most intact surviving example of a raised bog landscape in the United Kingdom. About 44 different species groups inhabit the area including various land and aquatic plants, fish, insects, crustaceans, lichen, fungi, terrestrial mammals and birds.
Llangathen is a village and community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The population taken at the 2011 census was 507.
Allt y Wern is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the community of Llangathen in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The site is a semi-natural broadleaved woodland with an area of 6 hectares.
Caeau Ffos Fach is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales. Part of this SSSI is a nature reserve owned by the charity Butterfly Conservation primarily because of the population of the rare and legally protected butterfly species the marsh fritillary.
Cefn Blaenau is a 23-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest in a small upland valley in Carmarthen and Dinefwr, Wales. It was designated an SSSI in 1989, primarily for its flush and spring vegetation as well as the diverse mosaic of unimproved pasture, ‘ffridd’ land, marshy grassland, wet heath, acid grassland, broadleaved woodland, streams, and small rock outcrops. These habitats, which are well represented at this site, have been greatly reduced in north Carmarthenshire due to land improvement, agricultural intensification, and afforestation. Only about 140 hectares of flush and spring vegetation remain in the county.
Crychan Forest Tracks is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales. It was chosen as a special stage in the British Rally from 2006 to 2008.
Llyn Llech Owain is a shallow lake with an area of 3.5 hectares which gives its name to the country park in which it sits, it is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest which was designated in 1993. The country park is managed by Carmarthenshire County Council and has an area of 73 hectares. The park is near the village of Gorslas with its entrance on Church Road.
Mynydd Llangyndeyrn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales, and a hill reaching 263 metres, which is a Marilyn.
Caeau Cefn Cribwr is a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cefn Cribwr in Bridgend, south Wales.
Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens are a 21.3-hectare (53-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Blo' Norton Fen is in the parish of Blo' Norton in Norfolk and Thelnetham Fen is in Thelnetham parish in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, and part of the Waveney and Little Ouse Valley Fens Special Area of Conservation, Thelnetham Fen is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Blo' Norton Fen by the Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP).
Beddmanarch–Cymyran is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) on the Welsh island of Anglesey extending to just over 900 hectares, and centred on the Cymyran Strait. It was first notified in 1961 for its coastal botanical and ornithological interest. The site is also a marine protected area as it includes intertidal areas and contains marine components.
Dyffryn Gwaun is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1954 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of 25.36 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.
Wyndrush Pastures is a Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of the village of Redberth, just south of the A477, and around five km (3.1 mi) to the north-west of the coastal town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since October 1999 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of 45.5 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.
Moorend Common is a 28-hectare (69-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest in the hamlet Moor End, west of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. It is in the Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is owned and managed by Lane End Parish Council.
Gweunydd Glan-y-glasnant is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthenshire, Wales, designated in 1993 for its botanical features.
Ulverscroft Valley is a 110.8 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Markfield in Leicestershire. The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). Lea Meadows is owned by the LRWT and it is also a scheduled monument. Part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the National Trust and leased to the LRWT.
Caeau Heol y Llidiart-coch is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The site is of special interest for its marshy grassland, fen meadow, and areas of species-rich grasslands. The site lies within Brecon Beacons National Park.
Mar Field Fen is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, or SSSI, north of Masham, North Yorkshire, England, in a rural area known as Marfield. It is situated on land containing woodland carr, fen, spring-fed marshy grassland and drier calcareous grassland, between the River Ure to the east and Marfield Wetland nature reserve to the west. As "one of the best examples of fen habitat in the Vale of York," it is a protected habitat for a variety of plants, including the common butterwort, a carnivorous plant. There is no public access to this site.
Tregyb Woodlands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales. Designated as a SSSI since 1980 as a conservation effort to protect and conserve the site, its area is 27 hectares.