Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera
The ward is characterised by marshy grasslands, upland heathland, lowland meadow, open mosaic habitats and grazed farmland. There are some areas of native and ancient semi-natural woodland but most of the tree cover is conifer plantation. The Land Behind Pen y Bryn and Pant-y-Brwyn SINCs are both designated for their species rich marshy grassland habitats. The Fields Behind Heol y Coedcau SINC is designated as blanket bog with peat in excess of 1 meter deep. A large area of the ward is covered by the Tiroedd Comin Cwm Amman Uchaf SINC, designated for a mosaic of habitats including acid grassland, purple moor-grass and rush pastures, heathland and bogs and flushes. About half of the ward is in a BLine.
The wonderful mix of habitats makes the area species rich. Skylark and Lapwing can be found throughout. Mammals include a number of bat species, Badger, Brown hare and Hedgehog. Specialist plant species can be seen in the wetter areas including Bog asphodel, Bog pimpernel, Bogbean, Hare’s-tail cotton-grass and Round-leaved sundew. The green corridors in the urban areas are good for House sparrow which have dramatically declined in the UK in recent decades. The rivers Twch and Tawe are important habitats for Otter, Dipper, Kingfisher and bats. Common lizard can be found on former brownfield sites. Barn owl can be seen hunting over the farmland.
Actions
- Look for locations for NPT Bee Friendly management around the ward i.e. sites where flowers would grow if mowing was paused for the summer
- Explore options for green infrastructure on buildings in the ward e.g. green roofs or living walls
- Invasive non-native plant species are an issue in this ward. Arranging balsam bashes or raising awareness of how to balsam bash (it’s very easy!) is a good way of helping to tackle the issue.
