Bryophytes of Glamorgan
George
Tordoff
A bit of history
1991-1994 bryophyte atlas (3 vols) published by BBS.
Hectad (10km square) scale.
At this time, Glamorgan was the best recorded county in
South Wales.
Two county floras:
Tony Smith (1964)
while based at Swansea
University
Tony Smith (left) in 1960. Photo: BBS
A bit of history
Roy Perry
Chapter in
Flora of Glamorgan (1994)
Based at NMW. Active
recorder in 1970s and
1980s.
Many well-known sites
visited (e.g. Morlais Hill) &
interesting species found.
A bit of history
Then a long period of stasis…
Preliminary maps drawn up for second bryophyte atlas
(published 2014) showed ‘embarrassing Glamorganshaped hole for many species’
Gaps acute for species which had increased since the
first bryophyte atlas, e.g. many epiphytes
In the meantime, other South Wales
counties caught up…
Carmarthenshire: Atlas published 2005. Tetrad scale.
Sam Bosanquet, Jonathan Graham & Graham Motley.
Records from 642 of 678 tetrads.
Pembrokeshire: Atlas published 2010. Tetrad scale.
Sam Bosanquet. Recording 2001-2009. All 484 tetrads
visited except Grassholm!
Breconshire: Graham Motley continues to record, as
well as some recording by others.
Monmouthshire: about half tetrads now visited by Sam.
Urgent need for more Glamorgan recording in
time for second atlas!
What are bryophytes?
Oldest lineage of land plants
Small – no major root system (rhizoids only). Leaves
usually only one cell thick.
Reproduce asexually (gemmae, tubers, leaf fragments)
and sexually (spores)
Bryophyte groups
1) Mosses
Thatch moss
Leptodontium gemmascens
(Barry Stewart)
Common Tamarisk-moss
Thuidium tamariscinum
Bryophyte groups
2) Liverworts
Two types:
Leafy
Thallose
Narrow Mushroom-headed Liverwort Preissia quadrata
Grove Earwort Scapania nemorea
Bryophyte groups
3) Hornworts
Look like thallose liverworts but with ‘horns’
Anthoceros species
Bryophytes in the UK
Around 1,050 species. Two thirds of European species!
Highest diversity in north and west (high rainfall areas)
Flora is changing all the time…
19601980
19902010
Rise of the
epiphytes.
Biological
Records Centre
maps
Bryophyte ecology
Occur in almost all habitats and on almost all
substrates…
Bryophyte identification
Worth
considering
courses
Can be
recorded
autumnspring
BBS, 2010
Watson, 1981
The renaissance
West Glamorgan leads the way: Barry Stewart (started 2011),
Charles & Hilary Hipkin (2011)
East Glamorgan: Peter Sturgess, Mark Evans
Gareth Farr and others
Visits from Sam Bosanquet, Graham Motley
BBS field meeting in the Rhondda, 2011
194 species recorded
‘one member was so taken with the area
that she said she was tempted to move house
to Treorchy.’
Craig y Llyn, October 2014
All photos Barry Stewart
Smooth Haircap Atrichum crispum
135 species recorded, including first Glamorgan record
of Recurved Rock-bristle Seligeria recurvata
Bryophyte blog
http://southwalesbryos.blogspot.co.uk/
Extremely
successful: 240
posts since
October 2014
Sharing
information:
• exciting finds
• tetrad progress
• help with IDs
• keeping each
other going with
routine
recording
Progress
Progress: 2015
Me
Surprises
New sites for scarce species
Southern Crestwort Lophocolea semiteres at Gnoll
Country Park (Neath), new for Glamorgan
Only 4th Welsh record
Charles Hipkin
Surprises
New sites for scarce species
Squirreltail moss Leucodon sciuroides
Epiphyte, much declined. Usually on old trees.
Surprises
New sites for scarce species
Squirreltail moss Leucodon sciuroides
Surprising to find it on a young sycamore in Bute Park!
Surprises
New sites for scarce species
Nearby on riverbank – Mnium marginatum
Surprises
New sites for scarce species
Goblin Gold Schistostega pennata
Surprises
Refinding old sites for scarce species:
Untidy Earwort Scapania cuspiduligera at Knap car park, Mumbles
First found by Jeff Duckett in 1969
Barry refound during a chip shop stop!
Photos: Barry Stewart
Surprises
Widespread species commoner than expected:
Lyell’s Bristle-moss Orthotrichum lyellii: “uncommon”
Frequent at low density in Cardiff
Street trees and others with well-lit trunks
Arrivals
Balding Pincushion Ulota calvescens. Formerly very rare western
species in UK. First recorded March 2015 by Barry at Loughor.
Arrivals
Fingered Cowlwort Colura calyptrifolia. Formerly very rare western
species in UK. Proving widespread in conifer plantations.
Photo: Charles Hipkin
Tetrad map 2015
Lots still to do!
Aspiration…
Tetrad scale map for whole of South Wales?