Microclimate & limestone pavement biodiversity: A pilot project to look at the longterm effects of grike orientation on microclimate and biodiversity in North Wales

Abstract

A long-term project (two years initially) was set up to produce a valuable database of microclimate data across two complete seasonal changes through two winter and summer soltices. The results of the project to date are: grike orientation has the potential to greatly affect the vegetation within the grikes and influence both the timing of its germination, growth and development; the bottom of the grike sufferts less temperatire fluctuation than the surface; there is a significant difference in the solar ration at 57 cm depth between the winter solstice and Mid February 1999; the range of bottom temperatures is significatnly higher in the north-south grikes during the winter months; north-south grikes suffer lower minumum temperatures during the autumn months. Grikes at Y Taranau and Bryn Pydew nature reserve were analysed.