Great Crested Newt Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Monitoring Data

Quality Control

Monitoring carried out by experienced contractors.

Method steps

1. Johnstown and Deeside & Buckley SACs. Sites were monitored by contractor Jan Wilkinson, for presence of GCN eggs, larvae and adults. a) 2003 initial monitoring: All ponds visited once in June, to carry out visual inspection for GCN eggs on laying substrates near shore. Other bird and fish species noted. b) 2003 main assessment: All ponds visited at least once, in most cases twice, during Aug-Sept, to record presence of larvae/efts using visual observation, bottle trapping, torch surveying and netting. Environmental conditions within pond and other waterfowl and fish species also noted. Halkyn Mountain SAC Sites were monitored by contractor Young Associates, as follows: a) Survey of 45 ponds, where GCN had previously been recorded, for eggs, larvae and juveniles and other environmental data. 31st May and 1st June 2005 with a return visit in Aug 2005. b) Condition assessment of GCN as a SAC feature.

The dataset currently only contains records from SACs in North East Wales, however when further sites are monitored geographical coverage will be extended.