Coed y Cefn

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.2991, -3.5365

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Powys County

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Description

Description A sessile oakwood comprising rather stunted oak trees, probably of secondary growth, and occasional birch. The extent of canopy cover varies from completely closed to open park-like woodland. The ground layer is species-poor, consisting largely of fescue grasses and bracken. The wood is notable for the occurrence of extremely high densities of the wood ant Formica lugubris. Their large mounds are frequent and worker ants are so abundant that their presence is audible to the human ear. This abundance is all the more remarkable in that this is the most southerly site in Britain where this species of ant has been recorded. The chrysolmelid beetle Clythra, whose larvae feed on ant pellets, has also been recorded from this site.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
hairy wood ant Formica lugubris Not listed in GB list ant formicidae

Plant communities

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas