Caban Lakeside Woodlands

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.2549, -3.5933

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Powys County

Habitats

Ancient woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Description These remnants of ancient woodland survive on the east-facing slopes above Caban Coch Reservoir and support one of the most interesting lower plant floras in Radnor. A total of 109 epiphytic species of lower plants have been recorded from the site. On damp decaying logs and rocks in the humid gorge of Nant Gwyllt, a number of bryophytes with a western Atlantic distribution in Britain occur, eg Dicranodontium denudatum, Bazzania trilobata, Odontoschisma denudatum, Plagiochila spinulosa, Saccogyna viticulosa and Scapania gracilis. Wet dead wood supplies a habitat for a specialised lichen flora. Ptchographa xylographa ccurs here in one of only two known site south of the Eastern Highlands of Scotland.Large and ancient oak trees provide the other important habitat, particularly for lichens. Scarce species typically confined to ancient woodlands which occur here include Arthonia vinosa, Catillaria sphaeroides, Lecanactis premnae, Pertusaria hemisphaerica and Thelotrema lepadinum. Dead and sheltered, bark-free wood is also abundant with its specialised flora. This nationally scarce habitat here supports many members of the Caliciales, eg. Calicium salicinum, Chaenotheca brunneola, C. chrysocephala and C. trichialis. On bark the scrace Calicium subquercinum is abundant, with the rarer Biatora globulosa. Communities of this nature are elsewhere in Britain best developed in central-northern and north-eastern Scotland.The high rainfall of the Elan uplands favours the growth of moisture demanding species such as the lichens Parmelia laevigata, Haematomma elatinum and Buellia pulverea. These species, together with others such as Sphaerophorus globosus and Mycoblastus sanguinarius, form the community called the Pamelion laevigatae, better developed in this area than anywhere else known in Radnor.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
no common name Arthonia vinosa LC lichen no common name
Biatora globulosa NT lichen ramalinaceae
no common name Catillaria sphaeroides Not listed in GB list lichen no common name
brown-head stubble lichen Chaenotheca brunneola LC lichen no common name
no common name Haematomma elatinum Not listed in GB list lichen no common name
no common name Lecanactis premnae Not listed in GB list lichen no common name
lichen Mycoblastus sanguinarius LC lichen tephromelataceae
no common name Pamelion laevigatae Not listed in GB list lichen no common name
no common name Parmelia laevigata Not listed in GB list lichen no common name
coral lichen Sphaerophorus globosus LC lichen no common name
barnacle lichen Thelotrema lepadinum LC lichen no common name
greater whipwort Bazzania trilobata LC liverwort jungermanniales
matchstick flapwort Odontoschisma denudatum LC liverwort jungermanniales
prickly featherwort Plagiochila spinulosa LC liverwort jungermanniales
straggling pouchwort Saccogyna viticulosa LC liverwort jungermanniales
western earwort Scapania gracilis LC liverwort jungermanniales
beaked bow moss Dicranodontium denudatum LC moss dicranales