INSTITUTEOF TERRESTRIALECOLOGY (NATURALENVIRONMENTRESEARCHCOUNCIL)

THE INVERTEBRATEFAUNAOF THE MATURETIMBERHABITAT SURVEYOF AREAS - SITEREPORTS- (NCC/NERCCONTRACTNO F3/03/77: ITE PROJECTNO 405)

P T HARDING MONKSWOOD EXPERIMENTALSTATION ABBOTSRIPTON HUNTINGDON MARCH 1978 This reportis an officialdocumentprepared under contractbetweenthe NatureConservancy Counciland the NaturalEnvironmentResearch Council. It shouldnot be quotedwithout permissionfromboth the Instituteof Terrestrial Ecology and the Nature Conservancy Council. THE INVERTEBRATEFAUNAOF THE MATURETIMBERHABITAT

SURVEYOF AREAS- SITEREPORTS

WALES

The followingcollectionof site reportsis arrangedby NatureConservancy Councilregions. The sectionof reportsfor eachregionis prefacedby a list of all the areasvisitedas partof the survey,withdatesof visitsand referencesto the site reportnumbersand/orarea description.

Region SectionNumber Dyfed/ _:11 NM 10MOIMMIMI THE INVERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE MATURE TIMBER HABITAT

SURVEY OF AREAS

11. D fed Pow s (Wales) Re ion

The following areas have been visited as part of a national survey commissioned by N.C.C. from I.T.E. The background and sources of this survey are outlined in the contract report of March 1976. Some areas were reported on in detail. These reports are included herewith in numerical order according to the following list. The remaining areas have, for various reasons, not warranted detailed reports. Summary descriptions of them have been made and included in either of the contract reports (March 1976 or March 1977) where the descriptions appear in the numbered "Area Descriptions" section.

All visits were made by P.T. Harding, almost invariably with the prior permission of the owner or his agents (except in the case of public access areas). All opinions expressed are related to the conservation value and potential of a given area for the invertebrates of mature and overmature trees, dead wood and associated biotopes.

Report number/ Area, County Date visited Area Description

Dynevor Deer Park, Dyfed September 1975 11.1/1976-45 Cwm Sere Woods, Powys September 1975 1976-46 Erw Fawr, Corngafallt, Powys September 1975 1976-47 Gregynog Park, Powys September 1975 1976-48 Powis Park, Powys September 1975 11.2/1976-49 DYNEVOR DEER PARK

DYFED

National Grid reference : 22(SN)610225

Visited : 20 September 1975 .

Owner : Lord Dyncvor, Birdshill Farm, Llandeilo, SA19 6SG

The park as a whole is now in multiple ownership. Only the deer park and a little surrounding grazing land in the north-western part are actually owned by Lord Dynevor. The castle, to the east of the deer park, and the surrounding gardens and pleasure grounds have recently been sold to a Mr. James. The remaining area is mainly part of the former Home Farm and the woodlands around the old castle are managed by the Economic Forestry Group.

Only the deer Park was examined in detail, but views of most of the •rest of the park were obtained from various vantage points. Clearly the deer park seemed to be the area of prime importance.

Most of the woodland within the deer park is mixed aged oak, either as high forest, or-as groups of broad crowned pollards. There is some beech, and a little sweet chestnut, lime and horse chestnut.

Oak Some very large maiden trees exist in the eastern end of the Rookery, extending outside the deer park into the small area still owned by Lord Dynevor. The largest trees are about 5 metres breast height girth, the boles having no major branches for at least 15 metres. These oaks are mixed with beech of about 100-150 years and a few variously aged lime and sweet chestnut.

The remaining oaks are mixed aged pollard types, with a few maiden trees. There is some open canopy high forest in the Heronry. Many of the pollard oaks are hollow, with exposed interiors. Red heart rot is present, as dry flakey lumps, lacking in any obvious evidence of beetle activity. Red wood mould in the interiors is absent. The best group of old oaks is in area I (see map).

The Heronry, and the valley above it, is mainly mixed aged oak high forest between 100 and 200 years old, with a few elm and ash along the two streams. Some of the ash are decaying.

Area 2 : A young (10-15 years) mixed plantation Area 3 : A plantation of beech, oak and ash (100-150 years)

Dead wood is plentiful and in most places, fallen dead wood seems to be left undisturbed. Oak, followed by beech, is the commonest component of the dead wood, but some ash and elm is also present.

Hawthorns, the blossoms of.which are important to many spring emerging Coleoptera and Diptera for feeding, are very scarce.

Dr. Francis Rose (1975) reports that the "Park Woods" are very rich for epiphytes and he records that more than 100 species of epiphytic lichens occur there.

The open areas are grassland which looks to be unimproved and rich in species. Within the woodland bracken and Holcus predominate, with small grassy areas in places, specially at the eastern end of the Rookery. The whole area is steeply undulating, with streams and small marshy areas.

The deer park is maintained to keep a herd of at least 50 fallow deer together with some red deer, Soay sheep and a small herd of British white cattle. Dynevor is a well known old white cattle site.

Summary

The deer park occupies the north-western corner of Dyncvor Park, and was the •only area surveyed. Much of the rest of the park was seen, but appeared to be of

only slight interest, with large -areas now arable farmland or open pasture. The deer park is densely wooded in places with mixed aged oak, in high forest or as groups of pollards. There are also some beech, sweet chestnut, lime and horse chestnut. Dead wood, both oak and beech, is plentiful and mostly seems to be undisturbed. Many of the pollard oaks are hollow and have exposed areas of dry heart rot, but not soft red mould. Succession prospects are good, but a new generation of oak is required in some areas of the deer park. The liotential interest of this area for dead wood fauna must be high; it is also of considerable interest for its epiphytic lichen flora (Rose 1975).

Reference

Rose, F. (1975). The vegetation and flora of Tycanol Wood. Nature, Wales, 14, 178-185.

Paul T. Harding • TiVriEVOR PONDS - DEER PARK 22$ . II gig :Tar V <-4

fal::•)!

.1. • ' y baar:‘. ,/leg•

, 1:

.• ‘!" ••••-•r tr..? Park '7; • 1 rui" Cost& 4 ..P7:4.14);17:•t: A It /fit .4 a • ••• 21t4/ L.!. • $4

- L • jya ...a1" • ”C"c „ --TOO ”I" • • r 1.4 V• 4. 4a.• • Romont'oln Hoold found 1•;••• • •

•••• • ...... •"„, ...... „ ht .- Works .--ta[t•f:el

.. • • • rah: G ;nth kr: .•• • .4 2!• •,• • j:. Batik • • .et:' Cu- 104. :

a_04i. • - •1••• .• • • ,•• 0. • -• • e• • hd • --200„..•cy...- •• ••• ) it; 3 3 „:„...:1,7-.4;pc•...... 0.. '.4 if I • Pang' D n ° 47; ;°4t•.. • ) , Cr; '• ; 1148 •••41/8 et..7 .111 ti•4;-•-11 a.. • .• • r o• r ICN

Bat. y

0.••••••••• Boundary of Deer Park 112 Areas mentioned in text

A..-- Additionalarea of Oak woodland .o°

00.

yirSI I Llasistr' I 04,71 •• 1.10

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 1On-- LL• ,..' Site of Special Scientific Interest notified under Section 23 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside ; •• Act 1949 ff . 'A •. Oat- • wm Site shown thus Drawn by JAG— „ • • • • • ...... Zr•Slihrfleater'Curdy.; •.,, „ `. 41 -• ta • • Nat. grid ref 3/V606222 acreage 69-3 l• ."`\•"•: ' „... . • :.!•. • .. 1. Scale 64 Itnik Date 5/10/72 .a C ,a• • '4, •.

..r Crown Copyright ReserVed

10 Metres 61 LUNG 6 As 01,Af -‘? POWIS CASTLE PARK

POWYS

National Grid reference : 33/2106

Visited ; 18 September 1975

Owner : The . Agent : P.L. Marriott.

The Powis Castle estate is extensive and includes a large amount of wood- land along the ridge running south-west from . This includes the deer park which lies between Welshpool town and Ladies Mount, as well as the Lower, Middle and Upper Parks. I was permitted to visit only the deer park around and to the north-east of Powis Castle. Little could be seen of the other areas from the surrounding public roads, but much of the woodland appears to have been replanted with conifers and mixtures. However, occasional large oaks and some beech were seen along the edges of the woodland and large oaks are common in pastures and hedges to the south of the Powis Castle parks and woods.

The Deer Park

The present deer park is smaller than the actual area named as such (see map) but the area of principal interest is limited mainly to the present deer park. A total of about 300 deer is kept, mainly red deer, but with a small herd of fallow. In addition, cattle are grazed in this area.

The deer park lies on undulating ground rising to nearly 200 m in the north- western corner. The geology is a complex of Ordovician and Silurian strata giving rather thin stony 'soils in places with, on the higher ground,vegetation dominated by bracken, Deschampsia and other coarse grasses. In places bracken reaches over 2 m in height. On the flatter eastern half of the park the grass- land has been either ploughed and reseeded, or fertilised to give improved grazing for deer and cattle. On the flatter area and in valleys on the western side the vegetation is clearly cut regularly to control bracken.

Much of the park is open grazing land, especially on the eastern side, but trees are plentiful, mainly in groups, on the rocky outcrops, steep slopes and on the higher ground on the western side. Elsewhere they form screeningbelts and small plantations. Oaks (both native species) predominate, with considerable numbers of beech, some sweet chestnut and lime, sycamore, maples, elm, ash and various conifers. The park and the castle gardens, are well known for their collections of exotic trees. 11. 2. 2.

The oaks are almost all maiden trees. A few exhibit pollard type form, but this is probably due to natural causes (frost, wind or grazing damage). Many trees are over 5 m breast height girth, which from ring counts would suggest that they are over 250 years and probably over 300 years old. Almost

all the oaks appear to be healthy for their age and no visible hollow trunks were seen. Many of these older trees appear to have had some careful tree surgery on them within the last 50 years, some cuts having calloused over completely. This generation of oaks is widespread throughout the park, but most plentiful in the western half. A second generation of younger trees (girths circa 2.5-3 m) is restricted to areas of late 18th or early 19th century plantation in areas 1 and 2 (see map), with occasional scattered trees elsewhere.

Beech are mainly 150+ years old, planted in groups in areas 2, 3 and 4. Although most are mature trees, few have lost limbs or are dying back, and there is little evidence of heart rot.

The other tree species occur in such low numbers that their relative importance must be slight. Many elms have been felled in recent years because of Dutch elm disease and few living elms remain in the park.

The deer park is kept tidy, even though public access is restricted to a small area near the castle. Fallen limbs and trees appear to be cut up and removed rapidly, although some of the more unmanageable elm boles were still lying about. Away from the metalled roads and in the remoter parts, small fallen timber is left to rot. Dead wood in the canopy of oak and beech is scarce because few trees are overmature.

Replanting is sparse. Some 20 specimen oak and copper beech were planted about 20 years ago along the roadway leading north from the castle, and elsewhere a few oak and beech have been planted.

Areas of woodland within the Deer Park 11 1. Closed canopy oak high forest, mixed Q. robur and Q. petraea of about 3 m girth.

II 2. Oak (Q. robur), beech and sweet chestnut plantation.of about 150 years.

Oak and beech high forest with horse chestnut, elm and ash and some hawthorn understorey. Oak and beech less than 300 years old.

An almost closed canopy plantation of 200 year old beech and sweet chestnut.

The epiphyte flora looks reasonably rich and according to the Agent an 11. 2. 3.

expert on lichens had visited the park a few weeks before me. I have been unable to trace who made this visit.

Powis Castle dates from at least the 13th century and may.be on the site of an earlier fortification. The origin of the deer herd is not recorded by either of the old deer part treatises.(Shirley, Whitaker) because they do not cover Wales. Whitehead (1950, Deer and their management in the Deer Parks of Great Britain and Ireland) makes no mention of the Powis herd. As a general 1 principle, however, red deer herds arc often ancient in origin. Summary

1 The deer park surrounding the castle contains a considerable number of old oaks and trees of other species, especially beech. The best areas are to the west and north of the castle on steeply undulating ground. Almost all the oldest oaks are maidens of over 250 years old and are in excellent condition. Many have had extensive •tree surgery in the last 50 years and dead wood in the• crowns is uncommon. Younger oaks (1004-years) and beech of a similar age are planted in groups mainly in the extreme west. There are very few trees of 20th century origin. Fallen dead wood appears to be cleared rapidly. Hollow trees appear to be very rare although some of the older oaks clearly have heart rot.

The area is potentially of interest although it is possibly too tidy to be very productive for dead wood fauna.

Paul T. Harding • • " 11.2 POWIS CASTLE PARK riat "I - or - 00 - .7r1" _a *, ./ s, • ...2i er-e) #22/ • / L • ..111unal, \\,, • _ .• . I LIvarreover r• 3' rt t ••• V. • 14.,•• • P 4 fund wyd . Lb • • • :IC • •••-Vel.• . •• • • 5 ..• • • /1 • . /• N. • • •••• - . .• y •A•44 •p I. e4(5.4.-‘1a/. . • •" • • kr,...a? •a 7 ' • .• 40. •! •• ?ft •••• „o0 Is. is Q 4 ! Pi , - ji • "CAI 4./4 ,Lvigr 49/ t 1\ 11 a -•••••• 3 • cza % . • . .;\ • " : ••I••C• as:0,4S. b a • Jar; amerch • • 7 LL::• cca; ?Or% . ... Hall • .4. ..._._..;• C. , oar-4.-' ___ri,":1••!,-- .-,,,,• 411 .• "S0,-1 • .• . c1/4 . • A l • • • 'V • • :C. ••.•. a''''''''' • • „• 4ridite . • St Ottit .4 .• , • •• • • • S' .•)'• • • A . t Chu v • Q •••"S•.> .7 • - --,-- 4' . ••• •••• • •• - WELSHPQ,CIL, ...', • / . il N •• .8,:ro. ••••• tank!..1/49).•••••:./.•• • • ••• .ck V% Vr-•••• :., 1.• • • 454 ...L.:: / k.:: .•k• •• a.• •••• ..• LInrchilal 30 to, ii,,....,::ie:...„ i . anage .:., ••••• • - • . .• , •,..:.e •. 12.4:f. tClec;.;t14. d;1/44 .00 ...,,,,,.... >0,1\40,:. %.... , „....-.._.:1 Eu SHP I bc,0 .,.. 4.9 :.:4? .,, A •fr • ..‘, .„....- •7 • ../•-•- : •,b-.A • ...". - -- . ", . • ' ..,•••• 1, for d:.: .. - ow •,Y4 e •• .•• ; --- ;••• 4 "10'S ...... 11:17 DNS. wit.) 17 .. . „7.1•0••.,•.. Sot ." '. 0 ... ni•Se / •\•, „„.•-it , '1. .5/ , timpani • 54:1 •11:4: .I.! ' • _-: p,. :••• .Y kit..‘" • • • " 4.4) • • • ... • • • ,...... „: . X , 5 k - . ev ...... - 1...., • • •yd • s: ,at • . • .../i • • .2,z5- • e '' ...., • I ...... t• ' --"- '''' 77,-•:.:4...... ::::•"•' .----t,...7.p.;„, .. t---.4%,.„-,.;~-'4''.,_,___,'. •li. : •• •• •• ..... ,. ..1.45, __ . .. -••••• ••Thr•A• il • r ' . At -,.•. 8' • :-.• ".. • .. • r,..--- Air . la-ICS)•)••••••2-:** ....- '/. . II • , c --45•4-4.• • .• .. *be:, ••. • .. t,..,..... - / ir ifi ,•1 . .•,.• • li • • • • 0 -- -•• t.•-.. "•••>"/ • .'":4•• : • • • • iil •• : 1••• 1/17-,2 • )51‘• Jr) „ 1:7•••5 •, .tsk-- --." •• f...:•••••••• I •• 4. :...... ,• ' - - ...• . ,4 0 / -•••tr•ct...•"'• • • • ,•••••."0%-t.. ••• i , • .1<-•Y - 4 •••• •• A: --.•--.400/ 'I, • t -I- • 4. ,/* • •.• - • " ao'l...-::•t:;,-.;'• •P ..'i.' ' i' a t ' •:' k .•0...y• • . . „..• ...... „ . R. -d• • .• • - • • a 4 • / ' , I /.. • t . 4 .,:' ../14 ,...... • •". . e11.1. 4:44fr t'. 74 ..0 s: I 0 • di 4. g.p "el! •S•tVti4Z i''•t:41.., • GI 7V -1 eit....,t t:•3",".• ./.•,•A",' . °:.'..!/0...'.i.,...... _sit. 7...:.. ..v...... '. "?;<:1• ,.,.-.• y 1.•!;:tc:....e -...‘:\ ..,...4. . 4-t . - •;.. 71,0, .. ; • :1". V./ •• ..) •,,4f7L.-,..,..:;i9,--:-".: ...... !.. • ,i ; •::..: . •*.•, ••, ..ob1 .:"7.,<:•%-•.':--;•••-•:•-'.4-••.•• •, _A' ing, "4 „.• • 7 I * 4., •-•A .., *:••:,/t i ...7SI 04.-1.• 1 It • ..2,..•St.i.•/' ' . ....? . .1'; . :"1 li . jmip ' ....•k ••• Y O. ." 7 ••• • • • •', ,.:••• ••••ea ' • •• ft-... "• t ,. • 1,, • c. • / •1440..i.,..`C./..., . .-,. al a • • •••N • • 2 . M., ta,.;. . ,./.. ... • • .,-,-..--,...e....., - - -. • .•-. / . •..°4°• ,.... . /. 0 (41::' :4:7r •,..••.4v ' e..11, ' .4 4: A .‘•••••-.1 .t."4 • • `44:%I; ••er• ••,..., ••••4•32/ 4.,• ••••‘‘• ...... b:1..• .:11:• ••••/. ••••••• •...-. S. 0' •,,••,./ .•1; 4.-: %T.! .4i4:1 /1 : f.././ - '*si,.'' ';:'4 ltr..t 1. 476i:e.: ..•.?? h. s'• %-';,/-*:./. j,•/• .2*••••••':, ••I0 • ,,,,,,;.."!._..!...),,:.4.-_...-.:s; • .^.:.- • .6-:,' <4-0-••-•/ ...... Qc.....(..i. • ,44‘...c.:•:.-... ,0 .c.'. .11.ipi.1;::•:..-t: %,e° ° A64/ "2-- - ' 9 ' ' ' ,r-mi;'.."-....H7' / Qt..'1 . / • , "... •• - .!-17.2';'• .k. -":,• ••••• '.....". %; /1 .• . ,v..../... (..7 .. fr-:/... t.../.a .:-.' • / ..:- . • ....,"; ./. • AS.C‘.$•-'49-..--;-.. .• ...:., ...&•., il• • 1•.••A ,,. "'''745 •-• 1•!•••;t• • A as •• . ''';9''...'' '•-• •A .:.:. the.t.,•••fr ••./. - Invek • ,4!...• ..' ./ k „0.. • _ I i.•••.,--•.,lia•••'‘ArA,i,Ct'it•Xfolijr•re.,,,K.:3•.-''' . ..,Casil - 2 '''' 't - *Tool .;•..4--;.1. A.::: • .th.:4;f:,:ts;4:::•fr 641.:.-.14•• i • V-•""4:4 ! 4;‘:. moil/ & lkiailne -...... •A2:••••• ., .. IS' ''II, -=.1. ...'''',4 4 kik% • / ?;:e0 • • ••• .(A.C:;7 . :;4;!;:../c.: 4;J:ii -Y10'...*.t.i.hi.: -jirill;itt.: /47••• . ,4•:.1*\.i;!;;; **, • rit•., ,:t>V I k• • • 48/ • .. , • • 7,- - • • - • 49 • ' a 0.. 11 • ,.• e":" • '4;73 i! • • •:* • . ••• !! • • •••• •-••• t • •: • , 1,:.• • Wle Hew ‘k.• •• 4'0./ • 4 • ••‘••• /. • ‘• card • r • 7: • ./ Oft•••••-- g•-• .• • ••/••• ' .•' ).•./ ..tat" . • tfif e "•:,•••••• • • ••• ''' • •:••• „. • • • '' ( • •••• 6, • Whkehouls • ..* • se‘,4 %.•„,ter., - • '.‘..."3.4.7 • n• :la. • • 'A • Firkin / It • • •..•- ' §,• • • • • .A.:•••••••• ai.4-7 • •Cr,,!?C•St• • • 'IP '•••( friarate••• • v. • t• A••• • t•• a•d•• "--,.:16.4g., 4. Tient ••1.- •-•j! Ike /3 • " tterg • . 0 •••••••••••-% / '.. t .! r,-.• .....- I A:. c- .• • ' .• 4, afradd •••• • 4 ..1 !"....::"7„.V.' i ni ...• • s. L .., .C.... di , ,.,-..7 •-•C p. LIN', , ...... , p •• .1 .,. f. '',' • • ' •.: Istard ft:11-4,. .• ii ..,...... :.• ft .. e• • • ..L.N. • *4•$'•(4%.' ,. .../ irk,* "4** °",••• i.• '-•411.k•-•. : ". a. • •ft • :: c-j• :.• •V 1 cs j 244 • • -'. • ( f,', . / • 5 - : •-. Dynerth 4--. ; • . / •:-.. •-:4. `71 ItFlot- ..... 1 Cont1Snierwal n 4 ..I / •• r Z.• -__ 1 :- -••• • ,y ' ' -- .i. / 4, • ,• -----u V•e2bij•• • I V, • -4 t .". A . • i • • \ .... . i ..,.:,...e:.:•:..a .. st \ / i /. • / 'it, , • •• . • ..../ .. -,,,.... „,- / ...:..e• • ••• \ A • i too ... •••• It ,../ . :....Y• ... • .1. I.: ••••• I . ••• 'S‘•/ ft . A,' ' ie. A / -.., /-.. i •.,- : / ,L \ ,, • Bd.. line fr.") *C. • L t '- I i i ) * / ,,, ic ' !Wages W,64,..1 , (2 p

.>tr • .• • •