Cefn y Brithdir
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Description
Description Cefn y Brithdir is a hill of Pennant grit, situated on the western side of the upper Rhymney Valley overlooking the town of New Tredegar. The steep north-eastern slopes support the best example in Mid Glamorgan of a dwarf shrub heath community in which crowberry Empetrum nigrum occurs as a co-dominant species. A range of dry heath species are found on the site. Crowberry is associated with bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus. Heather Calluna vulgaris grows around the crags and rocky outcrops where grazing is less intense. Grasses include wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa, sheep's-fescue Festuca ovina and mat-grass Nardus stricta.The diversity and relative density of the dwarf shrub species present on this site is unusual in Mid Glamorgan. Crowberry is here close to the southern edge of its range in Britain.
Species mentioned
Show the 6 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
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IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phalacrocorax aristotelis | Not listed in GB list | bird | phalacrocoracidae | |
| wavy hair grass | Deschampsia flexuosa | Not listed in GB list | grass | poaceae |
| sheep's fescue | Festuca ovina | LC | grass | poaceae |
| mat grass | Nardus stricta | LC | grass | poaceae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| crowberry | Empetrum nigrum | LC | shrub dwarf | empetraceae |