Allt y Wern is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
of
Llangathen
Llangathen () is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The population taken at the 2011 census was 507.
The parish church of St Cathen is a Grade II* listed building and houses the tomb of Anthony Rudd, an Elizabethan Bishop of St Davi ...
in
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. The site is a semi-natural broadleaved woodland with an area of .
Site
Allt y Wern lies to the south-west of the village of Llangathen and is near the
River Tywi
The River Towy ( cy, Afon Tywi, ) is one of the longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales. Its total length is . It is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing.
Route
The Towy rises within of the source of the River Teifi on the lower sl ...
. The site was designated in 1973 and comprises of woodland of oak (''
Quercus robur
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...
'') many of which are at least 200 years old, ash (''
Fraxinus excelsior
''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Albor ...
'') and hazel (''
Corylus avellana
''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an important component of the hedgerows that were the traditional field boundaries in lowland En ...
''), with species-rich shrub and ground layers. The site also includes streams and wet flush areas (an area of soil where nutrients accumulate due to the inflow of water).
Importance
Allt y Wern's main feature is the semi-natural broadleaved woodland, but the diversity of habitats make the site important for red kites (''
Milvus milvus''), thin-spiked wood-sedge (''
Carex strigosa''), and mosses and lichens.. The site was managed by coppice-with-standards but the practice lapsed around 1950. Coppice-with-standards is a coppicing method where older trees that have not been coppiced before are felled, opening the tree canopy for new trees, which was an unusual practice in this part of Wales.
Management
A wide variety of operations may affect the site and require consultation with
Natural Resources Wales
Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Count ...
and may also require consent. 16 operations are currently listed and include activities relating to farming, 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.
Natural Resources Wales aim to restore coppicing with standards to promote more diversity in the understorey (the tree and shrub layer below the canopy) and ground layer. Leaving more dead wood will encourage invertebrates, fungi, and birds. The diversity of habits will encourage red kites to breed on the site each spring.
Excessive grazing by domestic animals and deer reduces the natural regeneration of the wood and fencing should be improved. Alien tree species such as sycamore and beech are present, in small numbers, but they generate excessive shade and persistent leaf litter. Grey squirrels are present and damage young trees.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr