Yanal Bog facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Avon |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | ST424607 |
| Coordinates | 51°20′33″N 2°49′42″W / 51.3424°N 2.8283°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 1.6 hectares (0.016 km2; 0.0062 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1988 |
Yanal Bog is a very special place in North Somerset, England. It's a 1.6 hectare area that has been named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's protected because of its unique plants and natural features. It was officially recognized as an SSSI in 1988.
Contents
What Makes Yanal Bog Special?
Yanal Bog is a rare type of wetland called a calcicolous lowland mire. Imagine a spongy, wet area that's full of water and special plants.
The Ground Beneath Your Feet
Underneath Yanal Bog, there are layers of gravel and clay. On top of these, there's a thick layer of peat. Peat is like a very old, compressed soil made from dead plants. Because of these layers, the water table (the level of water in the ground) is very high. This creates a unique landscape that looks a bit like a dome.
Amazing Plants of Yanal Bog
The plants that grow in Yanal Bog are very special. Some of these plant groups are super rare in Britain!
Rare and Unique Species
Yanal Bog is home to two important plants:
- Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans)
- Blunt-flowered Rush (Juncus subnodulosus)
These plants don't grow in many other places in south-west England. There are also many other plant species here that are hard to find in the wider Avon area. Around the edges of the wet bog, there's also some grassland. Even though this grassland is part of the SSSI, it mostly has common types of grass and herbs.
Different Plant Zones
The bog has two main areas, each with slightly different plants:
Western Part of the Bog
In the western part of Yanal Bog, you'll find lots of:
- Blunt-flowered Rush
- Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea)
- Carnation Sedge (Carex panicea)
This area is special because it has many plants that like base-rich conditions. This means the soil has a lot of minerals like calcium. You can also find plenty of Black Bog-rush growing along a wet ditch in this section.
Eastern Part of the Bog
The eastern part of the bog also has lots of Purple Moor-grass and Blunt-flowered Rush. But here, the main sedge plants are:
- Lesser Pond-sedge (Carex acutiformis)
- Greater Pond-sedge (Carex riparia)
Other common plants in this area include Common Reed (Phragmites australis) and Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre). The plants in this part of the bog prefer more neutral conditions, meaning the soil is neither very acidic nor very base-rich.
Other Special Plants
Yanal Bog is truly rich in different plant species. Some other plants found here are rare or only grow in very specific habitats in the Avon area. These include:
- Flea Sedge (Carex pulicaris)
- Saw-wort (Serratula tinctoria)
- Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum)
- Marsh Valerian (Valeriana dioica)
- Dyer’s Greenweed (Genista tinctoria)
- Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris)
- Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa)
- Fen Bedstraw (Galium uliginosum)
- Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis)
- Tawny Sedge (Carex hostiana)
- Tufted-sedge (Carex elata)
These plants make Yanal Bog a really important place for nature and science!
