Within Rhondda Cynon Taf marshy grassland are one of our most characteristic and important habitats. As the name suggests these grasslands occur on wet soils in hedged pastures, commons, ‘perched’ upland wetlands and flushed hillside. They occur where soils and topography allow high water tables to develop or where surface water percolates down slopes. In all situations these habitats are reflection of our wonderful wet climate and unimproved soils. The ‘ideal’ management is low intensity traditional cattle and pony grazing, although ‘cut and collect’ can also be effective.  

 

Most marshy grasslands in RCT supports a high proportion of purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea), and/or Rush species (Juncus spp.). Without going into too much detail, our marshy grassland habitats can be defined into a few main National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Grasslands dominated by rushes are fall within the ‘soft and sharp flowered rush and marsh bedstraw’ vegetation of M23 mire. Purple moor-grass grassland's largely fallen within the ‘purple moor-grass and tormentil’ M25 mire classification, although, where flushed with ‘base-rich’ water ‘purple moor-grass and meadow thistle’ M24 fen meadow is often found. These main marshy grassland types occur in combination with areas of peat bog, wet and dry heath and acid or neutral grassland. These superb mosaic habitats, so characteristic of the South Wales, are given the Welsh name of ‘rhos pasture’. They are amongst some of the finest and most important habitats in Wales.

 

Purple moor grass dominated marshy grasslands are perhaps the classic South Walian marshy grassland. They have a rich wildflower component including tormentil, devil’s-bit-scabious, saw-wort, lousewort, cross-leaved heath, heath spotted-orchid, bog asphodel, meadowsweet, petty whin, marsh thistle and wild angelica. In M24 fen-meadow there is the beautiful meadow thistle, marsh valerian, and sedge-rich vegetation with carnation sedge, flea sedge and tawny sedge. 

 

Rush dominated grassland is extremely variable in composition and species-richness. Amongst rushes, and often also purple moor-grass, there is always marsh bedstraw and greater bird’s-foot trefoil. A wide range of additional typical marshy grassland flowers include wild angelica, meadowsweet, ragged robin, skullcap, lesser spearwort, marsh-orchids, marsh marigold.  

 

Sometimes marshy grasslands are dominated by dense tall stands of meadowsweet, often with common valerian, hemp agrimony, and ragged robin. Conversely on-stream sides and amongst the tussocks of marshy grasslands, two tiny wildflower gems can be found, the perfect and delicate blue flowers of Ivy-leaved bellflower and rare Cornish moneywort. 

 

The conservation significance of the marshy grasslands of the UK has only been recognised recently. They are now recognised as habitats of Europe significance, with the British Isles (Wales in particular) supporting a substantial proportion of the global resource.  The Mid Valleys Area supports a significant area of marshy grassland with about 2600 ha of purple-moor grass and rush pasture (Jones, et al, CCW 2003) representing ~5% of the total UK resource. Over 1500 ha of purple moor-grass and rush pasture marshy grassland has been recorded in the County Borough, and at a density of 4 ha per square kilometre, Rhondda Cynon Taf has the highest density of this habitat in Wales for any unitary authority area. 

 

The marshy grasslands of RCT are extremely rich fauna habitats. They support internationally important landscape for the rare and protected marsh fritillary butterfly and the even rarer narrow-bordered bee-hawk moth. Small-pearl bordered fritillary butterflies, double-line moth, bloody-nosed beetles, brown-banded carder bees and the rare small scabious bee are just a few of the special insects. The abundance of insects in marshy grasslands can be gauged by the huge numbers of orb spiders that spin their webs between the tall tussocks. The tussocky vegetation is excellent foraging habitat and cover for small mammals including harvest mice, which in RCT a marshy grassland/wetland specialist. These are excellent bird habitat with nesting reed buntings and meadow pipits, hunting kestrel and barn owls and wintering snipe and woodcock. Pools and ditches support common frog while grass snake and adder are both far common than we realise. 

 

Sympathetic management of marshy grassland is important in preventing sites from being lost to bramble and wet scrub invasion and providing the conditions that allow the flora and fauna to flourish. Low intensity cattle and pony grazing is the ideal management. Where that is not possible ‘cut and collect’ management is also effective. Draining or landfilling marshy grassland is an on-going threat. Sometimes wildlife ponds are dug in marshy grasslands, as a well-intentioned, but ecologically destructive activity which illustrates a lack of public recognition for this precious priority habitat. So, marshy grassland needs to be loved and they need to be valued as habitats of immense importance. Habitats that we are very lucky to have as an ‘everyday’ part of our landscapes and biodiversity.