Please scroll down to read more on the following articles:

• Bywyd gwyllt Ardal y Rhaeadrau - Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC
• The wildlife of Waterfalls Country - Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC
• The Waterfalls Footpath Improvement Project

Bywyd gwyllt Ardal y Rhaeadrau - Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC

Rhyw ddwy filltir i’r gogledd o bentref Pontneddfechan yng Ngorllewin y park genedlaethol fe ddowch o hyd i Coedydd Nedd a Mellte.  Mae’r ardal hon wedi dod yn enwog am eu rhaedrau dramatig – yn enwedig Sgwd yr Eira – sy’n denu rhyw 160,000 o ymwelwyr bob blwyddyn. Y brif atyniad yw’r llwybyr cul sy’n arwain tu cefn i’r rhaeadar. Mae’r llwybyr wedi ei ddefnyddio gan ffermwyr defaid am ganrifoedd.

Yn 2004 fe ddarparwyd yr ardal yn SAC (Special Area of Conservation) yn benodol am eu chynnefin hen derw sesil a choedwig onnen sy wedi eu ystyried i fod yn un or enghreifftiau gorau yn y Deyrnas Gufynol. Mae awyrgylch llaith llethrau serth y ceunentydd yn darparu amgylchedd perffaith i rhedyn, mwsog a cennau prin.  Gall rhywogaethau rhedyn gynnwys y marchredynen bêr, rhedynen gorniog, rhedynen gyfrdwy, duegredynen werdd, Tunbridge filmy-fern a’r Wilson’s filmy-fern. Mae yna hydynoed fwy o amrywiath yn y rhywogaethau mwsog a llys yr iau. Ar llawr y ddaer fe welir greater fork-moss, little shaggy-moss a straggling pouchwort, ac yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf llaith, scarce turf-moss. Mae’r clogfeini a’r deri yn medru cynnal western earwort, mae wood-rust yn gorchyddio boncyffion y coed sydd wedi disgyn ac mae’r planhygion prin Heller’s notchwort ag autumn flapwort yn tyfu ar rhisgl y dderwen a hen boncyffion. Yn yr afonydd a nentudd mae’r llys yr iau a’r mwsog yn ffynnu, mae’r creigiau a clogwyni ar bwys y rhaeadrau wedi ei gorchuddio mewn planhygion fel y rusty feather-moss a’r fox-tail feather-moss, ac weithiau Hartmann’s grimmia, river pocket-moss, beck pocket-moss a’r Hutchin’s hollywort ac ar rhai clogwyni mae cennau melyn llachar Chrysothrix chlorine wedi ei ddarganfod. Mae’r ardal hefyd yn gartref I sawl aderyn gan gynnwys bronwen y dwr a’r siglen lwyd. 

Mae’r Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC yn ardal hynod o fregus, sy’n dibynnu ar y llaith uchel a lefelau isel o lygredd i gynnal yr amrywiaethau arbennig o rhedyn, cennau a llys yr iau. Mi all ymwelwyr i’r ardal chwarae rhan mawr mewn gwarchod yr ardal arbennig hon. I’r mwyafrif ohnom ni y cyfraniad mwya y gallwn ni ei wneud yw:

...cadw i’r llybrau troed

... mynd â’n sbwriel adre gyda ni

... osgoi tarfu ar planhigion a bywyd gwyllt

...gadael pren sydd wedi syrthio yn y man a pheidio a thorri coed ar gyfer tanwydd

Cennau                        lichen

Rhedyn                        fern

llys yr iau                     liverwort

hen derw sesil               old sessile oak

marchredynen bêr          hay-scented buckler-fern

rhedynen gorniog           beech fern

rhedynen gyfrdwy          royal fern

duegredynen werdd        green spleenwort

bronwen y ddwr             dipper

siglen lwyd                         grey wagtail

choedwig onnen             ash woodland

Gan Helen Pye

The wildlife of Waterfalls Country - Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC

Coedydd Nedd a Mellte is situated some 2 miles North of the village of Pontneddfechan in the Western area of Brecon Beacons National Park. It has become famous for its dramatic waterfalls – in particular Sgwd yr Eira – which attracts more than 160,000 visitors a year. Its main attraction is the narrow path that leads behind the waterfall which has been used by sheep farmers for centuries.

In 2004 this area was designated as an SAC (Special Area of Conservation) primarily for its old sessile oak and ash woodland habitat which is considered to be one of the best examples in the UK. The humid atmosphere in the steep shaded gorges provides an ideal environment for rare ferns, lichens and mosses to flourish on cliffs, rocks and tree trunks. Fern species include the hay-scented buckler-fern, beech fern, royal fern, green spleenwort, Tunbridge filmy-fern and Wilson’s filmy-fern. There are also an even greater variety of mosses and liverworts. On the ground layer you will find greater fork-moss, little shaggy-moss and straggling pouchwort and, in the most humid places, scarce turf-moss. The boulders and oak can support western earwort, wood-rust plasters fallen tree trunks and the diminutive Heller’s notchwort and autumn flapwort grow on oak bark and decaying logs. In the rivers and streams liverworts and mosses flourish, the rocks and cliffs of the waterfalls are covered in species like rusty feather-moss and fox-tail feather-moss, and sometimes Hartmann’s grimmia, river pocket-moss, beck pocket-moss and Hutchin’s hollywort and on some crags the bright yellow lichen Chrysothrix chlorine has been found. The area also supports several bird species, including the dipper and grey wagtail.

The Coedydd Nedd a Mellte SAC is an extremely fragile environment, reliant on the high humidity and low levels of pollution to support the diversity of rare ferns, lichens and mosses. Visitors to the site can play a part in looking after this stunning area. For most of us the biggest contribution we can make is to:

…keep to the footpaths 

…taking litter home with us

…avoiding disturbance to plants and wildlife

...leaving fallen wood alone and not cutting trees for firewood

By Helen Pye

The Waterfalls Footpath Improvement Project

As many as 160,000 tourists a year visit the waterfalls area each year area and it is widely believed that these numbers will continue to increase. As a result of the increasing visitor pressure the footpaths in the area have suffered significant erosion in the past few years. This is of great concern to the National Park as the area is not only designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but also as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) – which means the area is protected under EU law.

The Waterfalls Footpath Improvement Project aims to address these erosion issues and mitigate further erosion problems in the future.

Another more high profile issue in the area is the closure of Sgwd yr Eira waterfall.