Llyn Llygeirian

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.3790, -4.4868

Also within

Gwynedd County

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Peatland

Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.

Habitats

Carr

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Peatland / Mire

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
gadwall Wintering

Description

Description Llyn Llygeirian is selected for its biological interest as an example of a moderately base-rich lake in West Gwynedd. The flora of the lake as a whole includes a range of aquatic macrophyte species. Low-growing species, e.g. shore weed Littorella uniflora, occur on the more exposed margins; various floating-leaved plants, including the regionally rare frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, and submerged macrophytes, e.g. the water-milfoils Myriophyllum alterniflorum and Myriophyllum spicatum, are present; reedswamp with a variety of emergent species, e.g. bulrush Typha latifolia, flowering rush Butomus umbellatus and bottle sedge Carex rostrata, is well represented and there are also peripheral willow carr and mire communities. Llyn Llygeirian is additionally important for the occurrence of several nationally uncommon aquatic species: the two waterworts Elatine hydropiper and Elatine hexandra needle spike-rush Eleocharis acicularis, spring quillwort Isoetes echinospora and pillwort Pilularia globulifera. Although this lake is not of major significance for wildfowl, it does support a number of overwintering species, notably gadwall and whooper swans.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
gadwall Mareca strepera LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
reedmace Typha latifolia LC bulrush typhaceae
spring quillwort Isoetes echinospora LC fern isoetaceae
pillwort Pilularia globulifera VU fern marsileaceae
flowering rush Butomus umbellatus LC herb butomaceae
six-stamened waterwort Elatine hexandra LC herb elatinaceae
eight stamened waterwort Elatine hydropiper LC herb elatinaceae
frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae VU herb hydrocharitaceae
shoreweed Littorella uniflora LC herb plantaginaceae
alternate water-milfoil Myriophyllum alterniflorum LC herb haloragaceae
spiked water-milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum LC herb haloragaceae
needle spike rush Eleocharis acicularis VU rush juncaceae
mire bottle sedge Carex rostrata LC sedge cyperaceae