Pumlumon Gully Mire

Pumlumon is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, and forms an SSSI containing areas of gully mire and blanket bog, which both contain PEAT! As all of us wetlanders should know by now - as an ecosystem peatlands are extremely important as long term stores of carbon. Globally, peatlands are large sinks of carbon (C) storing up to 550 Gt of C, with northern peatlands storing around 455 Gt C (1 gigatonne is equivalent to 1 peta gram (Pg) = 1015 g). With continuing rises in CO2 emissions it is important that peatlands are properly managed/restored in order to mitigate climate change.

Pumlumon can store flood waters. Source: www.montwt.co.uk

This aim of this field trip was to collect peat samples that could be analysed back in the Bangor lab. Two samples were collected; the first, from an area that was drained in the past by Freeman et al., (1997) who diverted water flow, to stimulate drought conditions, and the effect they would have on the nitrogen cycle within the wetland. The second sample was taken from below at a control site that was untouched. Unfortunately I was unable to attend this field trip, but was told it was extremely cold and very wet, and had my samples collected by Joe! These were then taken back to the lab where we would analyse them for our Lab Reports.

Work to preserve the area

The Pumlumon Project is a flagship project lead by the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust aiming to preserve and protect the site which stretches across 40,000ha of the Cambrian Mountain range. The project has eight main aims;

The work can be described as having eight elements:

1. Carbon Storage - Rewetting of peatland by blocking ditches to improve their condition and promote carbon storage via slow decomposition.
2. Reconnecting habitats- Creating links between habitats (corridors) to allow plants and animals to spread between different areas that may have been cut off by roads or farmland.
3. Storing flood water - Improving bog conditions to allow better storage of water to prevent floods downstream,
4. Bringing back wildlife - Aiding recovery of species with specific work targeted at the must vulnerable species.
5. Changing grazing patterns - Introducing more cattle, and reducing sheep numbers to help promote varied landscape, as well as helping farmers diversify with conservation-grade, slower growing hill beef.
6. Recreating habitats - Restoring degraded habitat and creating new habitats with a mixture of traditional farming techniques and new technologies to increase wildlife interest.
7. Developing Green Tourism - Providing better and more appropriately sited accommodation, visitor centres, websites, leaflets and signs, to increase people’s understanding of the aims of the project, and also increase visitor spending in the area and the incomes of local people.
8. Involving communities - Working with local communities to identify and implement projects to improve their local environment. To help diversify local business and help increase local incomes, we will help to set up some local value-added food schemes linking tourism businesses with local farmers.

Cors Fochno (Borth Bog)

Sign when entering the site

After a what seemed like forever mini bus trip we arrived at Cors Fochno in the village of Borth in Ceredigion. The site is the most intact lowland bog in Europe, and has been designated as an SAC, SPA, SSSI, NNR and is also protected by the RAMSAR Convention.

One of the Welsh  Mountain Ponies

Site info

When we arrived at the site we could see 2 welsh mountain ponies which were enclosed in an area to graze, this is part of the ongoing management by the CCW. Occasionally cattle grazes the area. The guide showed us a scrape that had been conducted in an area that could be improved. We could see that the scraped area was covered with a shallow layer of water and that the natural bog species like the mosses had returned to the scrape (within 5 years). Proving that these areas can be saved.

A short history of the site...
Cors Fochno can be translated to "bog of pigs" probably derived from when pigs were kept on the land. The land was originally a brackish swamp but gradually changed to a freshwater swamp and then to fenland. It became a raised bog when the area became dominated by bog mosses and cotton grass.
The site could be drained in 1813 when an Act of Parliament allowed the drainage of Cors Fochno, however the site was primarily used for peat cutting and light grazing.

Wildlife

2 Dragonflies on a gate

Today, the site is on of the last in Britain to home the moss Sphagnum imbricatum, there are 15 other species of Sphagnum at the site, and all 3 Sundew species that are found in Britain can be seen here. Bog rosmary, bog myrtle and Royal Fern which are all peat-loving can be found at Cors Fochno.
Insects also thrive at the site with rare invertebrates like the large heath butterfly, rosy marsh moth (which was once thought to be extinct), and an array of dragonflies and damselflies. Lurking beneath the waters at the site are palmate newts, eels and the Fifthteen-spined stickleback; which is the only fish that can survive within the acidic bog water. The eels are what are thought the otter that can be found on site feed on, the presence of otters can be seen in trails along the dams. Our guide also told us about Water Vole that were once wiped out by Mink in the 90s have made a return. He could tell this by putting down small floating blocks where they preferred to do their droppings. Reptiles such as Adders, Grass Snakes, Common Lizards and Slow Worms are commonly found at the site.

Otter trail

Many birdshave been seen in the area, including...

• Sedge Warblerss
• Snipe
• Redshank
• Teal
• Water Rail
• Skylark
• Hen harriers
• Peregrine Falcons

View of the open water at the site