Mochdre Dingles

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.4792, -3.3581

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Also within

Powys County

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Silurian

Landscape processes: Fluvial, Glacial

Description

Description This site is an outstanding example of mixed deciduous woodland in Montgomery. Vegetation types range from typical sessile oakwood to a more base-rich type in which oak and ash are dominant and in which a variety of other tree species occurs, including wych elm and field maple. hazel often forms a well developed shrub-layer in this latter type. A greater diversity of flowering plant species has been recorded in this site than in any other woodland in Montgomery. The site is also of high ornithological interest. The woodlands are developed in dingles on the Hafod and Cwm-y-rhiwdre Brooks and tributaries. These streams are incised into Silurian shales of the Wenlock and Ludlow strata. The ground rock in locally relatively base-rich and Hafod Dingle and the western banks of Cwm-y-rhiwdre Brook thus support a well developed and diverse ground flora. Grazing intensity varies from heavy to absent in different parts of the site. Hafod Dingle is predominantly mature oak-ash woodland with a varied, but locally very well developed understorey of hazel. The ground-layer is dominated by creeping soft-grass Holcus mollis and tufted hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa, with bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta locally abundant. Other species include false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum and wood sanicle Sanicula europaea. The western slopes of the Cwm-y-rhiwdre Brook are very varied in canopy structure and species composition, but a similar range of vegetation types occurs. The richer areas may also include ransoms Allium ursinum, dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and hedge woundwort Stachys sylvatica. Early-purple orchid Orchis mascula is present and herb-Paris Paris quadrifolia, a rare plant in Montgomery, occurs in the Cwm-du part of the site. The eastern side of the brook tends to be more typical of the acidic sessile oak wood type, with a limited ground flora in which typically common cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense is a constituent. However, base-rich areas do occur and locally the woods demonstrate intermediate characteristics. A variable quantity of birch may be present in such areas. The variety in canopy and shrub species, together with variations in tree density and understorey development, contributes to habitat diversity which renders the woods attractive to many species of woodland birds.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
creeping soft grass Holcus mollis LC grass poaceae
ramson Allium ursinum LC herb liliaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
common cowwheat Melampyrum pratense VU herb orobanchaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
early purple orchid Orchis mascula LC herb orchidaceae
herb paris Paris quadrifolia VU herb melanthiaceae
sanicle Sanicula europaea LC herb apiaceae
hedge woundwort Stachys sylvatica LC herb lamiaceae

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub

Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum