Читать книгу Walking on the Gower. 30 walks exploring the AONB peninsula in South Wales онлайн

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Ilston Cwm (Walk 6)

The limestone cliffs, up to 70m high, of the south Gower coast are a classic botanical habitat, supporting large numbers of plant species that are nationally rare. A combination of geological, climatic and historical factors has contributed to this diversity. The limestone bedrock is a controlling factor in the creation of nutrient-poor thin soils and a varied geomorphology from vertical rock faces to incised clefts creates a variety of specialist niches. These habitats are influenced by the mild winters and cool summers, giving rise to a prolonged growing season.

Historic and present-day land use has left a surviving belt of semi-natural vegetation along the cliffs, unlike much of the UK where coastal areas have been ploughed right up to the cliff edge. Many species found here are unique to limestone grasslands as they are able to grow in the lime-rich thin soils. In turn, these plants attract a variety of insects which feed and lay eggs on them. Plants such as hoary rock-rose, spring cinquefoil, bloody cranesbill, viper’s bugloss and greater knapweed along with insects like the silky wave moth occur here.