Mountain Landscapes

Carrantuohil
Courtesy of Kevin Farnan, Tralee Mountaineering Club.

As the majority of Ireland is low-lying, mountainous areas are typically located around the edge of the country, with any area 500m above sea level being defined as mountain landscape. These mountain landscapes occupy ~58,000 hectares, much less than  countries who’s landscapes are of a similar age (e.g. Britain, Norway). County Wicklow contains the most extensive proportion of mountain area, making up almost 30% of the total found in Ireland. Geologically, these mountains are made up of granite, gneiss and schist, with some glacial drift [LIGHTBOX]. When it comes to soil, over 2/3 of the Wicklow mountain soils are characterised as blanket peat, with the next largest soil group being histic lithosols, and some rocky outcrops formed by erosion and exposure. The abundance of peat is similar in mountain areas around the country, as over half (51.1%) of mountain soils are made up of peat. Mountain soils are typically shallow, wet and acidic as a result of topography and climate, mountain areas on the west coast can receive over 2000 mm of rainfall per year compared to 800-900 in the south east of the country.

Over half of the mountain areas of Ireland are characterised by rocky outcrops, typically found alongside histic lithosols and podzols. After blanket peat, the most common soil type of the mountainous regions are podzols, characterised by peaty topsoil above a leached horizon, resting on a cemented iron-pan which prevents water from percolating down, thus allowing these soils to develop over thousands of years. The types of plant which grow on these landscapes (heath, heather) tend to thrive in acidic conditions, and enhance the acidity of soils, encouraging leaching (transfer of nutrients through the soil profile) and leading to the development of podzols. See the soil types and their associations for yourself on the Teagasc interactive map viewer.

The rocky outcrops in Wicklow are not as prevalent as in Co. Kerry, which is the 2^nd most mountainous county in Ireland, famed for Macgillycuddy’s Reeks mountain range and the home of Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain at 1038m. These mountains date from the Devonian period (over 400 million years ago) and are mainly Old Red Sandstone. The major soil type overlying these mountains is blanket peat, along with podzols, rocky outcrops and, on sandstone bedrock, humic lithosols.  

These mountainous regions have limited use for humans, with some mountainous landscapes suitable for rough grazing of sheep, but the vegetation which grows on these mountain areas does not provide a great deal of nutrients to the livestock, as leaching has often depleted the soils of nitrogen, potassium and calcium.  It is also prohibitively difficult to use agricultural machinery such as tractors on these soils, as both the slope and the wet nature of the soils make this impossible. Along with this around 85% of the mountain areas are designated areas of protection due to their abundance of wildlife and biodiversity. Mountain landscapes comprise five of our six national parks, namely Glenveagh, Connemara, Ballycroy, Killarney and Wicklow National Parks. The harsh landscapes of Glenveagh national park in Donegal are home to species such as the arctic hare, indicating their importance and the need for their preservation. 

Note: this information is partly adapted from The Soils of Ireland.