Cors Caron
Encyclopedia
Cors Caron, also known as the Tregaron
Bog, is a raised bog in Ceredigion
, Wales
which covers an area of approximately 862 acres (348.8 ha). Cors Caron represents the most intact surviving example of a raised bog landscape in the United Kingdom
. About 44 different species groups inhabit the area including various land and aquatic plants, fish, insects, crustaceans, lichen, fungi, terrestrial mammals and birds.
of this type develops from a lake or flat marshy area, over either non-acidic or acidic substrates. Over centuries there is a progression from open lake, to marsh and then fen (or on acidic substrates, valley bog), as silt or peat fill the lake. Eventually peat builds up to a level where the land surface is too flat for ground or surface water to reach the center of the wetland. Trees in the area that died (in about 3000 BC) and were preserved by the conditions in the bog are being studied by scientists looking for information on the past climate of the area.
For many centuries the peat in bogs was cut out and harvested for use as a heating fuel. Many bog ecosystems were completely destroyed by this practice. As a result of international concern, Cors Caron was designated as a national nature reserve in 1955.
Formerly in the ownership of the Trawsgoed Estate
, and the Earl of Lisburne
, the bog is located in the 2000 acres (8.1 km²) Cors Caron National Nature Reserve
. In 1956 the 7th Earl of Lisburne entered into a management agreement with the Nature Conservancy Council
, and the reserve lands were sold to the Countryside Council for Wales
in 1986. The estate retains grazing and sporting rights over some 700 acres (2.8 km²) of the reserve and adjoining farmland. On 2 September 1992, Cors Caron was put on a list of wetland sites of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The bog is now maintained by the Countryside Council for Wales.
(Lutra lutra) at Cors Caron was the primary species listed in the assessment. Cors Caron is one of the largest wetland areas in Wales and feeds into the River Teifi
. Historically it is a very important site for otters and has been an important source of breeding for the otters of the River Teifi
and other catchments such as the rivers Severn
and Dyfi
. Cors Caron also provides an important amphibian
food resource for breeding otters in spring.
, Peregrine Falcon
, Merlin
, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Hen Harrier
. There have also been rare sightings of Montagu's Harrier
. The reserve provides a habitat for the endangered Red Kite
. Once nearly extinct, the bird of prey has made a dramatic resurgence in the area. The wetlands attract a variety of wild fowl such as the Teal
, Curlew
, and Water Rail
. Snipe
, Red Grouse
, Tree Pipit
, Grasshopper Warbler
and Whinchat
can be seen more in the drier areas and the Common Redstart
and Willow Warbler
nest in the willow scrub.
. There is a 3 km circular path using a boardwalk
, and a 7 km riverside walk on a raised path. Alongside the reserve is a cycle path using the disused trackway of the former Aberystwyth
to Carmarthen
railway, which forms part of the Ystwyth Trail
.
In 2005, construction started on a state-of-the-art bird hide
at Cors Caron. Opened in February 2006, the hide provides a viewing point to observe wildlife, especially birds at close range. The bird hide was constructed from sustainably harvested materials, such as Welsh Oak. The £80,000 cost of the project was covered by the European Union's Objective One Programme.
Tregaron
Tregaron is a market town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales, lying on the River Brenig , a tributary of the River Teifi. The town is twinned with Plouvien, in Finistere, France. According to the 2001 Census, Tregaron's population was 1,183, of whom 68.8% spoke Welsh fluently.-History:Tregaron...
Bog, is a raised bog in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
which covers an area of approximately 862 acres (348.8 ha). Cors Caron represents the most intact surviving example of a raised bog landscape in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. About 44 different species groups inhabit the area including various land and aquatic plants, fish, insects, crustaceans, lichen, fungi, terrestrial mammals and birds.
History
Cors Caron began to be formed 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last glaciation period. A raised bogBog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
of this type develops from a lake or flat marshy area, over either non-acidic or acidic substrates. Over centuries there is a progression from open lake, to marsh and then fen (or on acidic substrates, valley bog), as silt or peat fill the lake. Eventually peat builds up to a level where the land surface is too flat for ground or surface water to reach the center of the wetland. Trees in the area that died (in about 3000 BC) and were preserved by the conditions in the bog are being studied by scientists looking for information on the past climate of the area.
For many centuries the peat in bogs was cut out and harvested for use as a heating fuel. Many bog ecosystems were completely destroyed by this practice. As a result of international concern, Cors Caron was designated as a national nature reserve in 1955.
Formerly in the ownership of the Trawsgoed Estate
Trawsgoed
Trawsgoed Estate located eight miles east of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales has been in the possession of the Vaughan family since the year 1200...
, and the Earl of Lisburne
Earl of Lisburne
Earl of Lisburne is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for Wilmot Vaughan, 4th Viscount Lisburne. He notably represented Cardiganshire and Berwick-upon-Tweed in the House of Commons and held minor governmental office. His younger son, the third Earl, sat as Member of...
, the bog is located in the 2000 acres (8.1 km²) Cors Caron National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
. In 1956 the 7th Earl of Lisburne entered into a management agreement with the Nature Conservancy Council
Nature Conservancy Council
The Nature Conservancy Council was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 ....
, and the reserve lands were sold to the Countryside Council for Wales
Countryside Council for Wales
The Countryside Council for Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body. It is the Welsh Assembly Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales...
in 1986. The estate retains grazing and sporting rights over some 700 acres (2.8 km²) of the reserve and adjoining farmland. On 2 September 1992, Cors Caron was put on a list of wetland sites of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The bog is now maintained by the Countryside Council for Wales.
General site characteristics
- Inland water bodies (standing water, running water) (2%)
- Bogs, marshes, Water fringed vegetation, ferns (70%)
- Humid grassland, Mesophile grassland (21%)
- Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (7%)
Primary habitats (priority) feature
The assessment designated the primary feature for the selection of Cors Caron as active raised bog described as:
The Cors Caron sequence of peat domes (also known as Tregaron Bog) developed on the floodplain of the Afon (River) Teifi in mid-Wales now represents the most intact surviving example in the UK of a raised bog landscape (macrotope). The three main extant domes are hydrologically isolated by the River TeifiRiver TeifiThe River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
and associated surface drainage features, and all three have suffered extensive damage as a consequence of past drainage and peat-cutting. The river terraces associated with the component bog mesotopes are regularly flooded and support vegetation that includes reed canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea, soft rush Juncus effusus, purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea and, more rarely, water sedge Carex aquatilis. Substantial areas of the surface of each of the three component bogs still retain good quality active raised bog vegetation mainly referable to NVC type M18 Sphagnum papillosum – Erica tetralix community, with frequent bog-rosemary Andromeda polifolia and white beak-sedge Rhynchospora alba and, more locally, the bog-mosses Sphagnum magellanicum and S. pulchrum. Extensive areas with a high cover of heather Calluna vulgaris and deergrass Trichophorum cespitosum are also present, while purple moor-grass M. caerulea is particularly prominent on the more modified bog margins. Although present as a important peat-former until as recently as the 18th century, Sphagnum imbricatum is absent from the contemporary bog flora.
Qualifying Habitats (priority) feature
Bog woodland designation was a qualifying feature present described as:Under certain combinations of physical circumstances in the UK, scattered trees can occur across the surface of a bog in a relatively stable ecological relationship as open woodland, without the loss of bog species. This true Bog woodland is a much rarer condition than the progressive invasion of bogs by trees, through natural colonisation or afforestation following changes in the drainage pattern which leads eventually to the loss of the bog community. The habitat type has not previously been well described in the UK, and consequently knowledge of its ecological characteristics is limited.
The principal tree species in this form of Bog woodland is Scots pine Pinus sylvestris. Pine bog woodland types are likely to be intermediate in character between NVC type W18 Pinus sylvestris – Hylocomium splendens woodland and more open mire types such as M18 Erica tetralix – Sphagnum papillosum mire or M19 Calluna vulgaris – Eriophorum vaginatum blanket mire.
Qualifying habitats (non-priority) feature
Cors Caron was additionally assessed as possessing the following qualifying, non-priority habitats:
Transition mires and quaking bogs described as:
The term 'transition mire' relates to vegetation that in floristic composition and general ecological characteristics is transitional between acid bog and 7230 Alkaline fens, in which the surface conditions range from markedly acidic to slightly base-rich. The vegetation normally has intimate mixtures of species considered to be acidophile and others thought of as calciphile or basophile. In some cases the mire occupies a physically transitional location between bog and fen vegetation, as for example on the marginal lagg of raised bog or associated with certain valley and basin mires. In other cases these intermediate properties may reflect the actual process of succession, as peat accumulates in groundwater-fed fen or open water to produce rainwater-fed bog isolated from groundwater influence. Many of these systems are very unstable underfoot and can therefore also be described as 'quaking bogs'.
Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion described as:
occurring in complex mosaics with lowland wet heath and valley mire vegetation, in transition mires, and on the margins of bog pools and hollows in both raised and blanket bogs. The vegetation is typically very open, usually characterised by an abundance of white beak-sedge Rhynchospora alba, often with well-developed algal mats, the bog moss Sphagnum denticulatum, round-leaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia and, in relatively base-rich sites, brown mosses such as Drepanocladus revolvens and Scorpidium scorpioides. The nationally scarce species brown beak-sedge Rhynchospora fusca and marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata also occur in this habitat.
On lowland heaths in southern and eastern England this habitat occurs on humid, bare or recently exposed peat in three distinct situations:
- in and around the edges of seasonal bog pools, particularly on patterned areas of valley mire,
- in flushes on the edges of valley mires in heathlands, and
- in areas that are artificially disturbed, such as along footpaths and trackways and in old peat-cuttings and abandoned ditches.
Primary Species
The habitation of OtterEuropean Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
(Lutra lutra) at Cors Caron was the primary species listed in the assessment. Cors Caron is one of the largest wetland areas in Wales and feeds into the River Teifi
River Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
. Historically it is a very important site for otters and has been an important source of breeding for the otters of the River Teifi
River Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
and other catchments such as the rivers Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and Dyfi
River Dyfi
The River Dyfi is a river in Mid Wales. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion.- Source :...
. Cors Caron also provides an important amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
food resource for breeding otters in spring.
Birdlife
Among the birdlife which can be seen at Cors Caron are BuzzardCommon Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...
, Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, Merlin
Merlin (bird)
The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...
, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates...
. There have also been rare sightings of Montagu's Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.-Plumage:...
. The reserve provides a habitat for the endangered Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
. Once nearly extinct, the bird of prey has made a dramatic resurgence in the area. The wetlands attract a variety of wild fowl such as the Teal
Common Teal
The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...
, Curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
, and Water Rail
Water Rail
The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range...
. Snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
, Red Grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
, Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
, Grasshopper Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
and Whinchat
Whinchat
The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat...
can be seen more in the drier areas and the Common Redstart
Common Redstart
The Common Redstart , or often simply Redstart, is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus...
and Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler
The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia...
nest in the willow scrub.
Visitor facilities
Visitor facilities at Cors Caron include three car parking areas, accessed from the B4343 road between Tregaron and PontrhydfendigaidPontrhydfendigaid
Pontrhydfendigaid is a village in Ceredigion, Wales, lying on the River Teifi.It is known for the ruins of the Cistercian Strata Florida Abbey, founded 1164, where Dafydd ap Gwilym is said to be buried and Llywelyn the Great held a council....
. There is a 3 km circular path using a boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
, and a 7 km riverside walk on a raised path. Alongside the reserve is a cycle path using the disused trackway of the former Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
to Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
railway, which forms part of the Ystwyth Trail
Ystwyth Trail
The Ystwyth Trail is a multi-use rail trail linking Aberystwyth, Llanfarian, Ystrad Meurig and Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales. Cycling and walking are permitted along the entire length while horseriding is permitted on several sections only....
.
In 2005, construction started on a state-of-the-art bird hide
Bird hide
A bird hide is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commonly found in parks and wetlands for the use of bird watchers, ornithologists and other observers who do not...
at Cors Caron. Opened in February 2006, the hide provides a viewing point to observe wildlife, especially birds at close range. The bird hide was constructed from sustainably harvested materials, such as Welsh Oak. The £80,000 cost of the project was covered by the European Union's Objective One Programme.