Carmel National Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Carmel National Nature Reserve lies close to the village of Carmel
in Carmarthenshire
.
Its remarkable geology
and soils allow an unusual combination of habitat
s to exist side by side, including ash woodland
, species-rich grassland
and open water. The local landscape is a mix of traditional agriculture and quarry
ing activity, with ancient woodland
s, field system
s and quarries being closely integrated.
Carmel, Carmarthenshire
Carmel is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales near the village of Cross Hands.-Transmitter station:The Carmel transmission station is based south of Carmel Village and has been broadcasting terrestrial TV and radio services since the mid 1970s...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
.
Its remarkable geology
Geology of Wales
Wales is a peninsula in the south-west of the island of Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about . It is about north-south and east-west. Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the Bristol Channel to the south, St George's Channel to the west,...
and soils allow an unusual combination of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s to exist side by side, including ash woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, species-rich grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and open water. The local landscape is a mix of traditional agriculture and quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing activity, with ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
s, field system
Field system
The study of field systems in landscape history is concerned with the size, shape and orientation of a number of fields. These are often adjacent, but may be separated by a later feature.-Types of field system:...
s and quarries being closely integrated.