Target: North Wales LLYN PADRIG

Weather condition: Around 15 to 18 ° c, sunny and pleasant weather

Field visit to LLYN PADRIG on 24 October 2013 provided a great experience. LLYN PADRIG is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is an area that has also been declared as a place of special interest under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for its flora, fauna, geological or physiographic features. This is small mesotrophic basin mire, where wetland plants have developed in a former lake basin in which an area of open water is still present.  

The whole area is an amalgamation of 3 regions- first region includes lake basins, second region is floating area wetland within the buffer zone and third region includes a part, which almost terrestrilized. The major part of the site is cover by a 'lawn' of sphagnum (bog moss) and common wetland herbs such as bog bean and marsh cinquefoil.

LLYN PADRIG lake region 1

This open water body supports rare water plants including marshy grassland, scrub and wet woodland along with harboring willow, alder and birch. The habitat supports several nationally scarce water plants such as hair-like-pondweed, waterwort, slender spike-rush and several other peculiar water plants are also abundant in pools and the remaining lake area. Bottle sedge, common cotton grass, and the moss Calliergon cuspidatum also found. Other associated plants such as greater spearwort is common to observe. Patches of alder and grey willow occur around the perimeter of the site.  

After collection of soil sample

 LLYN PADRIG Region 2(Floating fen)

Richness of floral diversity made biodiversity estimation very knowledgeable and easy for us. Along with biodiversity estimation, field survey was conducted to find out pH, conductivity and depth of the soil of the site. Samples were also collected to perform laboratory work.

Cattle grazing at LLYN PADRIG

LLYN PDRIG region 3 (Terrestralised)

Given below is the field survey data collected from the site:

Site	Soil PH (pH)	Soil conductivity	Average floral diversity	Depth (meters)
Site 1	4.44	0.09 (S/m)	4	NA
Site 2	4.87	0.02(S/m)	7	5 m
Site 3	3.98	0.04(S/m)	8	5 m

In spite of supporting numbers of plants and birds, this site is facing many management issues related with excessive grazing and water level fluctuation but authorities are working towards the resolution of various issues, I believe one day they will be successful. Finally, I can say the field visit to LLYN Padrig  was very good learning for me in many aspect.