A site visit to a small residential development just above Aberdulais today took the tetrad total for SN70Q from 65 to 105. The development footprint comprised cleared land where some garages used to be, but the ownership included woodland that extended down to the river. Fortunately the owner is very wildlife-friendly and is keen to improve the woodland, which has plenty of
Rhododendron,
Impatiens and
Fallopia targeted for eradication. Unsurprisingly the immediate riverbank was the most interesting part of the site and included a nice drippy cliff to boot.
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Amphidium mougeotii on upper coal measures
shale and sandstone sequence |
The highlight was another new site for
Jubula hutchinsiae, though this time, just a small 10cm x 5cm patch amongst mossy rocks ~30cm above winter water line at SN77380019. Other species of note included
Amphidium mougeotii, Fissidens osmundoides, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, Heterocladium heteropterum var. heteropterum, Jungermannia atrovirens plus another
Jungermannia non-fruiting species,
Marsupella emarginata var.
emarginata &
Saccogyna viticulosa.
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| Jubula location just below lower corner of notebook |
You're on a roll Barry! There's some excellent riparian habitat in that area isn't there. I camped by the river in that area a few years ago but annoyingly it was before I got into bryos...
ReplyDeleteThat is another very significant record of Jubula for NPT Barry. The Marsupella is also a great record. I have never been able to get access to that part of the river but always thought it might be rather good. I presume that it is all private land.
ReplyDeleteThe last record of Trollius europaeus in VC41 was also near there. It's rather nice to think there is such a diverse upland bryoflora just a few miles from Neath town centre.
Yes there is some very nice habitat along that river and it was only a 100m section on one bank that I looked at. I wouldn't be surprised if there a little bit of Trollius hanging on somewhere along the river. The Jubula was a real surprise, but sadly I could not relocate the Marsupella in my samples today, so I'll pend that one as I'd have preferred to have had a closer look to confirm it.
ReplyDeleteYes the land is private although there is an unofficial path that runs down to the river behind the community centre to a very short, council owned section, happens to be where the Jubula is. The cliff section is private and I should add, was only accessible in waders and was rather perilous, so you may want to wait until the water level drops if you have the urge to venture upstream. I'll be back later in the year and you'll be welcome to join me then.