Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The habitat appears to suit it, probably because the ancestral plant seems to be a rare native of the south-
ernchalkcliffsthatwasmodifiedbyplantbreedersintheeighteenthcentury.ItisnowconfinedtoSussex
and the Isle of Wight. The cultivated version forms silvery bushes, covered in flowers from late spring
to mid-summer, and is highly scented and very attractive to insects, being pollinated by bees, moths and
butterflies.
In contrast to Mumbles Head, Middle Head is separated from the mainland for only two or three
hours each side of the high tide. Plants occurring here in addition to the usual species include sea plantain
Plantago maritima
, ploughman's-spikenard
Inula conyzae
, perforate St John's-wort
Hypericum perforat-
um
,Portlandspurgeandhempagrimony
Eupatorium cannabinum
.Onthedeepersoilsofthelowerslopes
bracken, ragwort
Senecio jacobaea
and ivy occur. Inner Head, which is the elevated part of the adjacent
mainland, has more species, mainly other garden escapes such as red valerian
Centranthus ruber
.
During the autumn migration the Mumbles, together with the adjacent Mumbles Hill, form part of
the route across the Bristol Channel for small birds, such as swallow
Hirundo rustica
, martins, wheatear,
redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
, pipits and various warblers. At peak periods over a thousand birds per
hour have been recorded passing over the islands.
MANAGEMENT
Worms Head is owned by the National Trust and managed as a National Nature Reserve by the Coun-
tryside Council for Wales, while the Mumbles are owned by the local authority and Burry Holms by a
private landowner. The Worm was notified primarily because of its important seabird populations, but
the maritime vegetation was also considered an important factor and it would qualify as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest on botanical grounds alone. The present conservation management strategy for the is-
land is about maintaining all habitats at their optimum condition and distribution for maximum species
diversity,andthereislittleintervention.Thereiscomparativelylessinterestintheother,admittedlymuch
smaller, islands. More needs to be done to improve our understanding of these special corners of Gower.
