An Assessment of the Current Condition of the Saproxylic Invertebrate Assemblage at Castell Y Waun A’I Barcdir/Chirk Castle and Parkland SSSI in 2018
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An Assessment of the Current Condition of the Saproxylic Invertebrate Assemblage at Castell y Waun a’i Barcdir/Chirk Castle and Parkland SSSI in 2018 K.N.A. Alexander NRW Evidence Report No. 317 Hornbeam with extensive decay and hollowing This survey was commissioned by the National Trust with financial assistance from Natural Resources Wales. The drafting of the project specification and report editing were undertaken by Natural Resources Wales. NRW Evidence Report No. 317 About Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales is the organisation responsible for the work carried out by the three former organisations, the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales and Forestry Commission Wales. It is also responsible for some functions previously undertaken by Welsh Government. Our purpose is to ensure that the natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained, used and enhanced, now and in the future. We work for the communities of Wales to protect people and their homes as much as possible from environmental incidents like flooding and pollution. We provide opportunities for people to learn, use and benefit from Wales' natural resources. We work to support Wales' economy by enabling the sustainable use of natural resources to support jobs and enterprise. We help businesses and developers to understand and consider environmental limits when they make important decisions. We work to maintain and improve the quality of the environment for everyone and we work towards making the environment and our natural resources more resilient to climate change and other pressures. Evidence at Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales is an evidence based organisation. We seek to ensure that our strategy, decisions, operations and advice to Welsh Government and others are underpinned by sound and quality-assured evidence. We recognise that it is critically important to have a good understanding of our changing environment. We will realise this vision by: • Maintaining and developing the technical specialist skills of our staff; • Securing our data and information; • Having a well-resourced proactive programme of evidence work; • Continuing to review and add to our evidence to ensure it is fit for the challenges facing us; and • Communicating our evidence in an open and transparent way. This Evidence Report series serves as a record of work carried out or commissioned by Natural Resources Wales. It also helps us to share and promote use of our evidence by others and develop future collaborations. However, the views and recommendations presented in this report are not necessarily those of NRW and should, therefore, not be attributed to NRW. www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk NRW Evidence Report No. 317 Report series: NRW Evidence Report Report number: 317 Publication date: February 2019 Contract number: Contractor: K.N.A. Alexander Contract Manager: Dr M.A. Howe Title: An assessment of the current condition of the saproxylic invertebrate assemblage at Castell y Waun a’i Barcdir/Chirk Castle and Parkland SSSI in 2018 Author(s): K.N.A. Alexander Restrictions: None Distribution List (core) NRW Library, Bangor 2 National Library of Wales 1 British Library 1 Welsh Government Library 1 Scottish Natural Heritage Library 1 Natural England Library (Electronic Only) 1 Distribution List (others) Dr Mike Howe, NRW Invertebrate Ecologist, Bangor Ian Hughes, NRW Conservation Officer, Buckley Carl Green, National Trust, Chirk Park Mark Gurney, National Trust Biological Survey Team Recommended citation for this volume: Alexander, K.N.A. 2019. An assessment of the current condition of the saproxylic invertebrate assemblage at Castell y Waun a’i Barcdir/Chirk Castle and Parkland SSSI in 2018. NRW Evidence Report No: 317, 50pp. Natural Resources Wales, Bangor & The National Trust. www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk NRW Evidence Report No. 317 Contents 1. Crynodeb Gweithredol .................................................................................................... 1 2. Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 4 3. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 7 4. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 8 4.1. Dates and number of visits……………………………………………………………………8 4.2. Sampling techniques………………………………………………………………………….8 4.3. Area recorded………………………………………………………………………………..10 5. The Saproxylic Invertebrate Fauna ............................................................................... 11 5.1. Introduction to fungal decay of wood ................................................................................11 5.2. Saproxylic Coleoptera (beetles) ........................................................................................12 5.3. Saproxylic Diptera (flies) ...................................................................................................18 5.4. Other saproxylic invertebrates ..........................................................................................21 5.5. Total of saproxylic invertebrates known from Chirk Castle Park ......................................22 5.6. Epiphytic invertebrate assemblage ...................................................................................22 6. Index of Ecological Continuity and Species Quality Index for Coleoptera ...................... 23 6.1. Index of Ecological Continuity……………………………………………………………...23 6.2. Species Quality Index……………………………………………………………………….23 7. Management Recommendations .................................................................................. 24 7.1. Land management…………………………………………………………………………..25 7.2. Tree management…………………………………………………………………………...26 7.3. Deadwood management……………………………………………………………………28 7.4. Survey and monitoring aspects…………………………………………………………….28 7.5. Educational needs…………………………………………………………………………..30 8. Acknowledgements....................................................................................................... 31 9. References ................................................................................................................... 31 10.1. Appendix 1. Cumulative list of wood-decay Coleoptera (beetles) known from Chirk Castle Park, with SQI and IEC analysis. ............................................................................... 33 10.2. Appendix 2. Cumulative list of wood-decay Diptera (flies) known from Chirk Castle Park………………………... ................................................................................................... 38 10.3. Appendix 3. Diptera (flies) from flight traps in Chirk Castle Park. ................................. 41 10.4. Appendix 4. Invertebrates other than Diptera taken in flight traps in Chirk Castle Park……………………….. .................................................................................................... 45 10.5. Appendix 5. Invertebrates recorded by hand search techniques in Chirk Castle Park..47 10.6. Data Archive Appendix ................................................................................................ 50 List of Plates Plate 1. Flight interception trap in hornbeam Tag no. 195 ....................................................... 9 Plate 2. Flight interception trap in oak Tag no. ??? ............................................................... 10 Plate 3. A split oak showing red-rotten heartwood as well as exposed and undecayed wood……....10 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk NRW Evidence Report No. 317 1. Crynodeb Gweithredol Mae'r parcdir sy'n amgylchynu Castell y Waun wedi'i ddynodi yn Safle o Ddiddordeb Gwyddonol Arbennig (SoDdGA Castell y Waun a'i Barcdir) am fod yn un o'r enghreifftiau gorau o borfa a pharcdir coed hynafol yng Nghymru, sy'n cynnwys nifer fawr o rywogaethau amrywiol o goed hynafol. Mae'r safle o ddiddordeb arbennig yn ogystal oherwydd y rhywogaethau infertebratau pwysig sy'n cael eu cynnal gan y coed hyn, ac mae'r casgliad o infertebratau saprosylig yn nodwedd hysbysedig o'r Safle o Ddiddordeb Gwyddonol Arbennig. Cafodd y dynodiad ei wneud yn dilyn arolwg infertebratau manwl a gynhaliwyd ym 1996. Mae'r ddogfen hon yn adrodd ar ailasesiad o’r casgliadau o infertebratau saprosylig (pydredd coed), ar sail arolwg maes newydd a gynhaliwyd yn ystod 2018, gyda'r bwriad o ail-asesu eu cyflwr presennol, eu pwysigrwydd cenedlaethol ac a yw'r arferion rheoli cyfredol yn ddigonol i warchod y ffawna infertebrat pwysig hyn. Gwneir cymariaethau â'r arolwg a’r asesiad blaenorol a gynhaliwyd ym 1996. Yn gyffredinol, roedd isafswm o 313 o rywogaethau infertebrat pydredd coed gwahanol yn hysbys o'r parcdir, cyfanswm rhyfeddol ar gyfer un safle, ond mae'n adlewyrchu hanes hir y safle fel porfa coetir a pharcdir. Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys 207 rhywogaeth chwilen, 82 pryfyn, un pryfyn neidr, dau fyg, 12 gwenynen a gwenynen feirch, un gwyfyn, chwe chorryn a dau filtroed. Dadansoddwyd ac aseswyd y ffawna chwilen saprosylig yn nhermau ei bwysigrwydd o ran cadwraeth natur gan ddefnyddio dwy fethodoleg: • Mae'r Mynegai Dilyniant Ecolegol yn rhoi asesiad o ansawdd y ffawna chwilen arbenigol sy'n gysylltiedig ag amodau 'hen dyfiant' ac yn cynnig ffigur lleiaf oherwydd gallai rhywogaethau na sylwyd arnynt o'r blaen fod yn bresennol hefyd. Cafodd rhywogaethau 'coll' eu targedu yn 2018 o ganlyniad a chanfuwyd llawer ohonynt. Mae gwerth y Mynegai Dilyniant Ecolegol wedi cyrraedd