Snowdonia’s ‘Rhodocop’ is Aberystwyth student
An Aberystwyth University student has been dubbed as Snowdonia’s new ‘Rhodocop’. Gruffydd Jones from Pwllheli is on a mission to control the aggressive alien plant invader Rhododendron using soil science and deduction. According to Gruffydd, who has just started a PhD at Aberystwyth, it is difficult to control Rhododendron and consequently Wales’ biodiversity is under threat. Gruffydd will be working with Snowdonia National Park and Natural Resources Wales and is funded jointly by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Aberystwyth University. Rhododendron spreads rapidly, invading vast areas of land. It is estimate that the total area covered by Rhododendron in Snowdonia National Park is equivalent to around 5,000 football pitches. Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA), National Trust (NT) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have been very successful in controlling this species in North Wales using slash and burn plus application of herbicide to any regrowth. However this process is costly ...