Breathing LIFE back into our rare bogs in Wales

Breathing LIFE back into our rare bogs in Wales - Natural Resources Wales

Person carrying out scrub removal with a chainsaw (Credit: Drew Buckley Photography) — Scrub removal (Credit: Drew Buckley Photography)

A project run by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is removing scrub (small trees) scattered across 379 hectares (937 acres) of rare lowland raised peat bogs.

The LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs project aims to restore seven of the very best examples of lowland raised bogs sites in Wales, this work will improve the condition of this rare and important habitat to a more favourable condition.

The sites have suffered due to poor wetland management in the past, causing invasive plants to take over, and crowd out important plants like sphagnum (bog moss).

Invasive scrub, particularly birch and willow, has encroached onto five of the seven sites as they have become drier.

Patrick Green NRW LIFE Welsh Raised Bogs Project Manager said: “Trees can absorb up to 100 gallons of water a day - that equates to just over two bathtubs This dries out the bog and stops crucial sphagnum from growing. Cutting and treating small trees will help keep these important bogs wet and spongy, allowing natural bog mosses and plants to survive.”

Scrub is being removed from Cors Caron National Nature Reserve (NNR) near Tregaron, Cors Fochno, part of the Dyfi NNR near Borth and Rhos Goch NNR near Builth Wells.

Almost 187 hectares (462 acres) of scrub scattered across Cors Caron NNR is being treated this year. This work involves cutting small trees and subsequently stem injecting the stump with approved herbicide to stop them from growing back.

Stem-injection involves drilling a hole in the stem or stump of a targeted tree and injecting or placing a capsule of herbicide into the stem or stump. This releases the herbicide very slowly, and over several years the stem or stump decays and rots.