Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve is located in Cardiff Bay in the city of Cardiff. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. It covers an area of approximately 8 hectares (19. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, 8 acres). The area was officially opened as a wildlife reserve on 25 July 2002 in what was previously an area of Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) up until the opening of the Cardiff Bay Barrage in April 2001. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. The area had previously been salt marsh however the Barrage created 200 hectares of freshwater lake and from this the reserve was developed. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e
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Construction
The site was chosen by the Cardiff Harbour Authority, who manage Cardiff Bay, to create an important new environment from the previous salt marsh and to help compensate for the loss of the Cardiff Bay mudflats. Cardiff Harbour Authority was formed as part of Cardiff Council on April 1, 2000. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e [1]
Edmund Nuttall Ltd won the GB£120,000 contract to build the Reserve and work was completed by the end of November 2003. Edmund Nuttall Limited is a major group of construction and civil engineering businesses [2]. In 2001 a landscape architect was appointed, Phil Williams from the Landscape Institute, was involved from an early stage. The Landscape Institute ( LI) is the United Kingdom Professional body for landscape architects. he said:
| “ | We were working in a difficult environment, the site was not going to develop a new ecology overnight. We didn't know the extent to which the water level in the bay might fluctuate and therefore affect the new communities of species we are trying to attract. Dealing with this changing situation demanded a cautious approach. The site needed careful monitoring. [2] | ” |
Since the Wetlands Reserve was constructed tonnes of debris had flowed down from the River Taff and collected near the reserve so the Cardiff Harbour Authority had to build a 450 metre floating boom to prevent debris from entering the bay. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. Cardiff Harbour Authority was formed as part of Cardiff Council on April 1, 2000. [3]
The Reserve
Wetlands are a transitional habitat between water and land, they provide an important habitat for many bird, fish, animal and plant species. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog
The Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve can be found near St. David’s Hotel close to Mermaid Quay. Mermaid Quay is a shopping and leisure complex in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales.
Prior to the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage this area was made up of mudflats and saltmarsh. The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e The wetlands reserve was created in the new freshwater lake.
The reserve is a biodiversity hot-spot within Cardiff Bay. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, Wales. The reedbed, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitat, along with other aquatic plants, are very productive vegetation. This article is about a conservation biology topic For other uses of BAP see BAP (disambiguation.
A number of bird species including Reed Buntings, Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers, use this habitat to build nests in. The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a Passerine Bird in the bunting family Emberizidae a group now separated by most modern authors from The Acrocephalus warblers are small insectivorous Passerine Birds belonging to the genus Acrocephalus. The Sedge Warbler ( Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. Reedbed is not only important for birds but also for invertebrates, fish and amphibians.
Interesting birds and wildlife can be seen here – not only in the summer, but year round. The types of birds and their activity level will vary depending on the season. In the spring, when some birds breed on the Reserve, birds can be seen and heard singing – especially early in the morning. The autumn and winter bring visitors like Teal and Stonechat. The Common Teal / Eurasian Teal or simply Teal ( Anas crecca) is a common and widespread Duck which breeds in the northernmost The genus Saxicola,the stonechats or chats, is a Genus of 14 Species of small Passerine Birds restricted
The Wetlands Food Web
The various species which inhabit the Cardiff Bay Wetlands exist in a dynamic food web Very small creatures such as midge larvae and worms live in the mud underneath the wetlands. Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem. Chironomidae (informally known as chironomids or non-biting Midges) are a family of Nematoceran flies with a global distribution These are eaten by several bird species such as Snipe. A snipe is any of nearly 20 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. Other insects also use this transition zone between water and land to spend various phases of their lives – dragonflies live in the aquatic zone as larvae and adults. Anisoptera redirects here For the genus of trees see Anisoptera (tree. Sometimes Black-tailed Skimmers can be observed hunting their territories in the reen part of the reserve. The Black-lined Skimmer, Orthetrum cancellatum, is a European Dragonfly.
The relationship between plants and animals – birds or insects, can be surprising. Cinnabar moths feed on ragwort whilst in their caterpillar phase. The Cinnabar moth ( Tyria jacobaeae) is a brightly coloured arctiid moth found in Europe and western and central Asia
Fish are also visible in the shallow areas of the Reserve. A number of coarse fish species benefit from the warm water and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation which exists almost exclusively in this part of the Bay. The water provides excellent nursery conditions, cover and food for small fish.
Some species of bird spend a lot of time in the reserve because they can feed on fish there. Grey Herons and Kingfishers are often seen on the reserve. The Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea) is a wading Bird of the Heron family Ardeidae native throughout temperate Europe and Asia Kingfishers are small bright colored Birds of the three families Alcedinidae ( River kingfishers, Halcyonidae ( Tree kingfishers, and Cerylidae ( Water
Access
A footpath crosses the reserve from St. David’s Hotel to the Yacht Club on the River Taff. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. At the end of this footpath, a boardwalk goes out into the water, allowing good viewing across the Reserve, and also provides a good spot for watching the fish shoaling in the shallow waters.
Although public access is not permitted onto the main body of the reserve, this is to allow excellent breeding and feeding conditions to develop for the species present. It is possible to view many bird species from the public area with the naked eye and binoculars will allow an even better birding experience.
Also visible is a floating boom that surrounds the reserve. Under conditions of high river flows on the Rivers Taff and Ely, water-borne debris can be washed down into Cardiff Bay from the upstream catchments. The River Ely (Afon Elai is a River in South Wales flowing generally south east from Tonyrefail to the Capital city of Cardiff This boom prevents this debris from entering the reserve and impacting upon the species that are found there.
Notes
- ^ Conservation Strategy For Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Council. Retrieved on 2008-04-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule
- ^ a b wet 'n' wild. Patrick Ellis. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion.
- ^ Bay tackles rubbish problem. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor
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