UCAS Presentation Script

Question 1

What are the threats Snowdonia faces?

Answer 1

-Climate change
- Invasive Species
- Littering (microplastics)

Question 2

Why Climate change is a threat?

Answer 2

• Climate change is one of the greatest threats that Snowdonia faces.
• One reason why Climate Change is such a threat to Snowdonia is because Wales is experiencing 25% less summer rainfall than it did a century ago. In Snowdonia, this increases the risks of droughts, floods and forest fires in Snowdonia’s Celtic rainforests.
• This decrease in rainfall isn’t helped by the fact that Snowdonia is experiencing rising temperatures, which causes these habitats to experience other forms of severe weather, like flooding.
• Now, the average temperature of Wales is over 1°C greater than it was a century ago and due to climate change the temperature will most likely continue to rise.

Question 3

How Snowdonia can counteract the threats imposed by climate change?

Answer 3

• To address the threats posed by Climate Change, the Snowdonia National Park Authority’s departments are collaborating on several different projects.
• One of these projects is the Peat land Restoration Project. This project will help the National Park to preserve about 17 million tonnes of Carbon yearly, as the Peatlands are proven to be excellent stores of carbon.
• Another way the Park Authority aims to address the problems caused by climate change is by putting in place eco-friendly travel and transport policies to cut back on carbon and other greenhouse gases emissions.
• Lastly, the Park aims to investigate Carbon offsetting and look for funding to offset further emissions.

Question 4

Why invasive species are a threat?

Answer 4

• Worldwide, invasive species are a serious issue because they can cause all sorts of damage to ecosystems, for example starving native animals of food and resources and changing habitats in a way that negatively effects native species.
• One of the most dangerous invasive plants in Snowdonia is Rhododendron ponticum.
• If left unchecked, Rhododendron ponticum might result in serious issues in the National Park.For example, the degradation of wildlife habitats. So far, this plant has managed to spread and take over more than 2,000 hectares of the national park in a hundred years and so it’s vital that the park finds ways to stop its spread.
• Another invasive species found in Snowdonia is the Himalayan Balsam. The Himalayan balsam can spread widely and is almost impossible to eradicate. It can leave riverbanks bare of vegetation and liable to erosion. Dead plant material can also enter the river and increase the risk of flooding.
• There’s also the Japanese Knotweed. Japanese Knotweed causes structural damage to buildings by pushing its way through expansion joints in concrete, cavity walls and weaknesses in the broken mortar between paving slabs and bricks. And this is why Japanese Knotweed is actually illegal to plant in the wild.

Question 5

How Snowdonia can counteract the threats posed by invasive species?

Answer 5

• Because of the seriousness of the invasive species threat, the National Park Authority and other institutions have been working together to manage invasive species.

-One way the park aims to combat the threats posed by invasive species is by cutting back and applying pesticides to destroy plants which are considered to be invasive.

• There’s also plans to scout out vast tracts of land with drones for new growth of species like Rhododendron ponticum.
• And lastly, the authority are issuing grants so that money can be used to find new solutions and new methods of getting rid of these invasive speecies.

Question 6

Why littering is a threat to Snowdonia?

Answer 6

• The last main threat Snowdonia faces is litter pollution.
• Popular tourist activities like climbing, walking, cycling, and water sports puts pressure on the ecosystem of the park by litter contamination as some tourists leave litter behind.
  -As well as this, popular activities like climbing and walking on undesignated species may harm rare plant species by trampling them underfoot. Also, bicycles with large tyres risk eroding paths by harming topsoil and vegetation.
• The busiest peak in Wales is Yr Wyddfa attracting over 600,000 climbers annually. Unfortunately, the mountain is now prone to plastic pollution due to litter contamination.

Question 7

How Snowdonia counteracts the threats posed by litter pollution?

Answer 7

• The National Park Authority and other institutions have introduced initiatives to control plastic pollution in Snowdonia.
• Firstly, there are designated paths for climbers and cyclists in order to ensure that the sensitive species and vegetation are not affected by trampling.
• The National Park authority also encourages people to take care of their own trash and to maintain hygiene by putting up posters and penalising.
• Thirdly, a ‘plastic free’ initiative has been set up in Yr Wyddfa to safeguard the mountains’ sustainable future.
• There’s also Snowdon tidy, whcih is an initiative that seeks to significantly reduce litter on all major trails leading from Mount Snowdon’s base to its peak.

-And lastly, Every year, around 130 volunteers give up their time to assist the Park Authority with some of Eryri’s biggest challenges. For example, they may help with litter picking on busy mountains like Mount Snowdon (btw Mount Snowdon is another name for Yr Wyddfa)

Question 8

Now on to Conservation Work

Question 9

Thank you for listening. You can use the summary to fill in the woksheet :)