Llyn Fanod facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Llyn Fanod |
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Llyn Fanod in 2007 with a coniferous forest in the distance
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 Llyn Fanod
Location in Ceredigion
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| Location | Ceredigion, Wales |
| Coordinates | 52°15′33″N 4°02′52″W / 52.25917°N 4.04778°W |
| Type | Mesotrophic |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Llyn Fanod is a beautiful lake found in the hills of Ceredigion, Wales. It's located between the villages of Penuwch and Bontnewydd.
This lake is so special that it's protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Part of it is even looked after by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. You can visit Llyn Fanod by following a special path called a bridlepath from the main road.
Llyn Fanod is a type of lake called 'mesotrophic'. This means its water has a medium amount of nutrients. It's also where the River Aeron begins! Because the water has few nutrients, many rare water plants can grow here. In summer, you might spot waterfowl (like ducks) and even sea birds visiting the lake. Look out for colourful dragonflies, damselflies, and caddis flies too!
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About Llyn Fanod
Llyn Fanod covers an area of about 5.3 hectares. That's like 13 football fields! At its deepest point, the lake is about 8.3 metres (or 27 feet) deep.
The lake sits in a hollow, which was likely carved out by a glacier during the last ice age. A natural dam, called a moraine, holds the water in place. Scientists have studied pollen from the lakebed. This 'palynological' study shows the lake formed after the last ice age. It's actually a small part of a much bigger ancient lake, called Llyn Farch, which has mostly dried up.
Plants and Wildlife
The land around Llyn Fanod is mostly pasture where cattle and sheep graze. At the southern end of the lake, there's a small boggy area or mire.
Plants in the Boggy Areas
In the wet, boggy parts, you can find clumps of purple moor-grass. There are also tall cushions of common hair moss and Sphagnum recurvum. In old areas where peat was cut, you might see:
- Marsh cinquefoil
- Bog asphodel
- Bogbean
- Beaked sedge
- Different types of Sphagnum moss.
Plants in the Lake
In the open water at the southern end of the lake, you'll see beautiful floating plants like:
- Yellow water lilies
- European white water lilies
At the northern end of the lake, there are some very special and uncommon plants for this area, including:
- Water lobelia
- Lake quillwort
- Littorella uniflora
- A few plants of water awlwort.
Plants in the Grassland
The rough grassland around the lake can also be quite boggy. Here, you can find other interesting plants such as:
- Common spike-rush
- Water horsetail
- Sharp-flowered rush
- Soft rush
- Marsh willowherb
- Marsh-bedstraw
- Floating sweet-grass
- Bogbean
- Lesser spearwort
