Rocks along the shores of montane lakes in Eryri have been found to be an important bryophyte habitat, supporting a range of rare and threatened bryophytes that grow only in this habitat.
Due to the limited niche of the species of this habitat, and in some cases very small populations, they are especially vulnerable to disturbance and a single disturbance event could lead to irreparable damage to or even loss of the Welsh population of some species. Therefore, it is of high importance to fully document the bryophyte flora of the shores of these montane lakes and identify rocks that support rare and important bryophytes and are vulnerable to disturbance.
Seven montane lakes within the Eryri SSSI were surveyed in September 2024, spread between the three main massifs of Yr Wyddfa, Glyderau and Carneddau.
Lakes were prioritised for survey based on the quality and quantity of recent bryophyte records. The full shore of each lake was walked and the locations of any rare or otherwise notable bryophytes encountered were recorded.
Important boulders were identified and documented, with any damage present noted. A full species list was recorded from the shore of each lake.
