A Baseline for Monitoring the Freshwater Natura 2000 Vegetation of the Teifi Pools (Afon Teifi SAC), Wales

Abstract

The Teifi Pools are notable for their freshwater plant communities of the Natura 2000 ‘oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or Isoëto-Nanojuncetea standing water’ habitat type (EU Habitat Code: 3130) and for an internationally important population of the aquatic plant floating water-plantain (Luronium natans (L.) Raf.) (EU Species Code: 1831).

This chapter describes a baseline for monitoring the freshwater vegetation of the Teifi Pools SAC, and the development of site specific indicators for assessing the condition of the aquatic vegetation.

Over a 1-week period in October 2003, two experienced freshwater botanists, working as a pair, surveyed the five lakes recording and mapping the macrophyte communities observed. Shallow marginal waters (depths up to 70 cm) were waded in a zigzag route covering a band of between 3 and 5 m from the shore. A viewer was used to observe the submerged macrophytes present, and a grapnel was used up to three times every 15 m when wading was not possible, for example where the steep rocky shore prevailed over deep water.

The survey work successfully categorised the macrophyte assemblages present and provided baseline distributional data on key species and habitats, allowing site-specific condition indicators to be developed. These techniques could be applied in other similar situations, particularly where there is a need to find an efficient and effective means to address a lack of detailed baseline data.