Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park | |
---|---|
Páirc Náisiúnta Chill Airne | |
Location | Killarney, Ireland |
Nearest city | Cork |
Coordinates | 52°01′16″N 9°30′24″W / 52.02099°N 9.50664°W |
Area | 102.89 km2 (39.73 sq mi) |
Established | 1932 |
Governing body | National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) |
Website | www |
Killarney National Park (
The
Climate and geography
Killarney National Park is in southwest Ireland close to the island's most westerly point.
Lough Leane is the largest of the Killarney lakes and contains over 30 islands. Some visitors avail of boat trips to Innisfallen, one of the larger islands on Lough Leane.
The park has an
The geological boundary, the park's wide range of altitudes, and the climatic influence of the Gulf Stream combine to give the park a varied ecology.
History
Early history
Killarney National Park is one of the very few places in Ireland that has been continuously covered by woodland since the end of the most recent glacial period,[13] approximately 10,000 years ago. Humans have lived in the area since at least the Bronze Age, approximately 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found evidence that copper mining took place in the Ross Island area during this period, which suggests that the area was of considerable importance to Bronze Age people. The park has many archaeological features, including a well preserved stone circle at Lissivigeen.[1] The woods in the park have been disturbed and cleared at different periods since the Iron Age. This has caused a gradual decline in the diversity of tree species in the park.[13]
Some of the most impressive archaeological remains in the park are from the
After the
From the 18th century the land in today's park were divided between two great estates, the Herberts of Muckross and the Brownes (
Woodland exploitation again increased during the Napoleonic era in the early 19th century, probably because of the high prices that oak was commanding at this time. Replanting and management of the oak forests was promoted at this time. There was a large-scale felling of oak trees at Ross Island in 1803, Glena in around 1804 and Tomies in 1805. Tomies was then replanted with three-year-old oak and Glena was coppiced. These activities have increased the relative abundance of oak in the park in the past 200 years.[13] As most of the oak trees in the woods today are around 200 years old, it is likely that the majority of them were planted, and the oakwoods that have never been disturbed by humans are restricted to a few isolated pockets in remote areas such as mountain valleys.[15]
The Herbert family owned the land on the Muckross Peninsula from 1770 onwards. They became very wealthy from copper mines on this land.
Creation of the park
In 1910, the American William Bowers Bourn bought Muckross Estate as a wedding present for his daughter Maud on her marriage to Arthur Vincent.[17] They spent £110,000 improving the estate between 1911 and 1932, building the Sunken Garden, the Stream Garden, and a rock garden on an outcrop of limestone.[16]
Maud Vincent died from pneumonia in 1929.[16] In 1932, Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law donated Muckross Estate to the Irish state in her memory. The 43.3 square kilometres (10,700 acres) estate was renamed as the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. The Irish government created the national park by passing the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park Act in 1932.[7] The Act required the Commissioners of Public Works to "maintain and manage the Park as a National Park for the purpose of the recreation and enjoyment of the public."[16] The memorial park is the core of today's enlarged national park.[7]
Initially the
Around 1970 there was public disquiet about threats to the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. The Irish authorities looked at international practices in classifying and managing of national parks. It was decided to expand and re-designate the park as a national park that corresponded broadly to
Lakes of Killarney
The Lakes of Killarney are Lough Leane (the lower lake), Muckross Lake (the middle lake), and the Upper Lake. These lakes are interlinked and together make up almost a quarter of the park's area. Despite being interlinked, each lake has a unique ecosystem. The lakes join at the Meeting of the Waters, a popular tourist area.[20] Sport angling on the lakes has been a pastime in the area for some time, in particular of the lakes' brown trout and salmon populations.
Lough Leane is approximately 19 square kilometres (4,700 acres) in size and is by far the largest of the three lakes.
Muckross Lake is the deepest of the three lakes.[20] It has a maximum depth of 73.5 metres (241 ft),[12] close to where the steeply sloping side of Torc Mountain enters the lake.[20] The lake lies on the geological boundary between the sandstone mountains to the south and west and the limestone to the north.[12]
Lough Leane and Muckross Lake lie across the geological boundary. The presence of limestone causes both of the lakes to be slightly richer in nutrients than the Upper Lake. There are many caves in the limestone at lake level, created by
From the Meeting of the Waters a narrow channel called the Long Range leads to the Upper Lake, the smallest of the three lakes. This lake is located in rugged mountain scenery in the upper Killarney/Black Valley area. The fast run-off in its catchment area can cause the level of the lake to rise by up to a meter in a few hours during heavy rain.[20]
Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake are high quality
All three lakes are very acid sensitive and therefore vulnerable to afforestation within their catchment areas.[6]
Woodlands
Killarney possesses the most extensive area (approximately 120 square kilometres (30,000 acres)) of semi-natural native woodland (woodland dominated by
Grazing and rhododendron invasion threaten the park's woodlands. Rhododendrons affect approximately two-thirds of the oak woodlands. A rhododendron removal programme is under way in the park. The yew woodlands have been negatively affected by heavy grazing for many years.[6]
Oak woodlands
The park is perhaps most famous for its oak woodlands,
The oak woodlands typically have an
Bryophytes, lichens and filmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae), thrive in the humid oceanic climate. Species with restricted Atlantic distributions grow in the woods.[2] The bryophytes in these woods are perhaps the best-developed Atlantic bryophyte community in Europe.[3] The remote Glaism na Marbh valley has a particularly rich flora of bryophytes, some of which are scarce or absent in other parts of the woods.[13] Mosses, ferns and liverworts frequently occur as epiphytes, attached to the trunks and branches of oak trees.[15] Rare species growing in the woods include Cyclodictyon laetevirens, Daltonia splachnoides, Lejeunea flava, Radula carringtonii, and Sematophyllum demissum.[6]
Bird species that reside in the oak woods include
The introduced common rhododendron is a large threat to certain areas of the oak woods.[15] For example, it is widespread throughout Camillan Wood despite ongoing attempts to control it.[2]
Yew woodlands
The yew woodland in the park is known as Reenadinna Wood. It is about 0.25 square kilometres (62 acres) in size and is located on low-lying karst limestone pavement between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane on Muckross Peninsula.[2] Yew woodland is the rarest habitat type in the park.[22] Yew woodlands are one of the rarest types of woodland in Europe, mostly restricted to western Ireland and southern England. It has priority habitat status under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive.[2] Reenadinna Wood is also one of the largest woods that are dominated by common yew (Taxus baccata L.) in the UK and Ireland.[23] It is the only significant area of yew woodland in Ireland and is one of just three pure yew woodlands in Europe.[22] It is of considerable ecological and conservation interest, as yew is rarely a woodland dominant. The western limit of the wood lies along the geological boundary with Devonian Old Red Sandstone. The wood is bounded to the east by parkland where the limestone no longer outcrops. Muckross bog, a raised bog 0.02 square kilometres (4.9 acres) in area, is in the southern part of the wood. There are hollows between the limestone outcrops. Deep rendzina soils have developed in some of the hollows. It is estimated that the wood developed 3,000–5,000 years ago.[23]
Yew is a native evergreen tree that grows best in the high humidity of mild oceanic climates, which makes Killarney a very suitable location.
Some of the trees in Re-enadinna wood are two hundred years old.[3] There has been little regeneration of the yew trees in the wood. Overgrazing of the woodland floor by sika deer may be part of the reason for this, but small areas of the wood that have been fenced off since 1969 have experienced very little yew regeneration. The dense canopy created by the yew trees that lets very little sunlight through to the woodland floor may also prevent the growth of yew seedlings.[22]
Despite its poisonous properties, yew is very susceptible to browsing and bark stripping by deer, rabbits, hare, and domestic animals. It is one of the most grazing sensitive trees in the Killarney woodlands. Sika deer have killed yews by scoring the trees with their antlers.[24]
Wet woodlands
Wet woodland (also called carr) on the low-lying swampy limestone areas within Lough Leane's
Red deer and sika deer heavily use the wetland woods as cover, and bare muddy "deer wallows" are a characteristic feature. Rhododendrons are the greatest threat to these woodlands. They are invading the woodlands, using raised areas such as tussocks or tree bases where the floor is too wet for seedlings to become established. Although some clearance has occurred reinvasion continues.[25]
Bogland
While the lower slopes of the mountains are dominated by
The remoteness of some of the upland areas aids the survival of Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native red deer.[1] The bogs are threatened by grazing, turbary, burning and afforestation.[6]
Flora
A large number of plant and animal species of interest occur within the site, including most of the native Irish mammal species, several important fish species including Arctic char, and a range of rare or scarce plant species.[3] Several of the animal and plant species in the park have a hiberno-lusitanean distribution, meaning that they only occur in southwest Ireland, northern Spain, and Portugal. The main reason for this is the effect of the Gulf Stream on southwest Ireland's climate.[26] The park has been designated a biosphere reserve because of the presence of such rare species.
Significant amounts of plant species found in the park have unusual geographic distributions and are of localised occurrence within Ireland. These plant species are grouped within four main categories: arctic-alpine plants, Atlantic species, North American species and very rare species. Atlantic species are species which are otherwise found mostly in southern and south-western Europe, for example
Bryophytes
Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) flourish in the park, due partly to the area's mild oceanic climate. The park is internationally significant for bryophytes. Many of the bryophytes found in the park are not found anywhere else in Ireland.[26] Mosses, ferns such as filmy ferns, and liverworts grow luxuriantly. Many of them live as epiphytes, growing on the branches and trunks of trees.[4]
Other plant species
The Killarney fern (
Although the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is relatively common in the park, it is one of Ireland's rarest native tree species and is found in very few locations outside Killarney. In the park it is found on cliff tops and the edges of the woodlands around the lake.[26]
Killarney whitebeam (Sorbus anglica) is a shrub or small tree that grows on rocks close to lakeshores. It is found only in Killarney. The more common Irish whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica) is also found in the park.[26]
The
Irish
A number of rare species of myxomycete fungus have been recorded in the park. These are Collaria arcyrionema, Craterium muscorum, Cribraria microcarpa (the only known location in Ireland), C. rufa, C. violacea, Diderma chondrioderma, D. lucidum, D. ochraceum, Fuligo muscorum, and Licea marginata.[6] The park has a highly diverse lichen flora.[26]
Fauna
Mammals
Most mammals native to Ireland and long established introduced species are found in the park.
Deer
The park has Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native deer (Cervus elaphus), comprising approximately 900 individuals.[27] an increase from less than 100 individuals in 1970.[28] They are found in upland areas of the park, mostly on Mangerton and Torc mountains. This herd has been continuously in Ireland for 4,000 years, since the return of red deer to the island, possibly aided by humans, after the last ice age,[4] approximately 10,500 years ago.[27] They were protected in the past by the Kenmare and Muckross estates. The herd is not completely pure because stags were introduced to the herd to improve antler quality in the 19th century.[28]
Pregnant hinds from the lowland areas frequently go to the mountains to give birth in early June. The National Park staff tags the calves. Although red deer and sika deer are capable of interbreeding, no cases of crossbreeding have been recorded in the park. High priority is given to maintaining the genetic purity of the native red deer herd. Red deer are fully protected by law, and their hunting is not permitted.[27]
Sika deer (Cervus nippon) were introduced to the park from Japan in 1865. Their population has increased considerably since then. It is estimated there is also up to 1000 Sika deer in Killarney National Park.[2] Within the park they are found both on open upland areas and woodlands.[4]
Bird species
[21] The Park boasts a wealth of bird life, and is of ornithological importance because it supports a diverse range of birds. 141 bird species have been recorded in the park,[29] including upland, woodland and wintering waterfowl species.[6] Several species which are otherwise rare in Ireland are present, notably the woodland species redstart (1–2 pairs), wood warbler (1–2 pairs), and garden warbler (possibly up to 10 pairs). The red grouse and ring ouzel are on the IUCN Red List of species of high conservation concern (1–2 pairs each). The Greenland white-fronted goose, merlin, and peregrine are listed on Annex I of the EU Birds Directive.[3] Other noteworthy species found in the park are the chough, nightjar, and osprey. The osprey sometimes passes through the park as it migrates between northern Africa and Scandinavia. Historical accounts and place names suggest that the osprey bred in the area in the past. Golden eagles once nested in the park, but were extirpated around 1900 as a result of disturbance, nest robbing, and persecution.[29]
The most common bird species in upland areas are meadow pipits, ravens and European stonechats.[4] Rare species are merlins (up to five pairs) and peregrine falcons (at least one pair).[6]
Chaffinches and robins are the most common species in the woodlands.
Grey herons, little grebes, mallards, water rails, dippers and common kingfishers live on the park's water bodies.[4]
Lough Leane, and the other lakes to a lesser extent, support wintering birds that travel south from higher latitudes.
Other wintering waterfowls are
Species that migrate from Africa in the summer include
The park is also the site for a project to reintroduce white-tailed eagles, which began in 2007 with the release of fifteen birds. The project will last a number of years with many more eagles being released. The species had become extinct in Ireland in the 19th century after persecution from landowners. Fifteen chicks will then be brought in annually for the following five years.[30] Despite a poisoning incident in 2009, the program is continuing[31] and birds introduced to the area have now been tracked to Wicklow and Donegal.
Fish species
The Lakes of Killarney contain many brown trout and an annual run of salmon. Rare species found in the lakes are Arctic char and Killarney shad.[20] The lakes have natural stocks of brown trout and salmon that can be fished, subject only to usual Irish salmon license regulations.[4]
The lakes contain Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.), which is usually found much further north in sub-Arctic lakes.[4] It's a relict species left behind in the area after the last Ice Age, and are consequently indicative of pristine environmental conditions. Although they were once widespread, they now are confined to isolated populations in inland freshwater lakes that have a suitable habitat. They are isolated in their respective lakes since the last Ice age. They are extremely sensitive to environmental changes when they are as far south as Ireland, where they are at the southern edge of their species range. The greatest threats to their survival in Ireland are introduced fish species, eutrophication, acidification and climate change. The rate of extinction of entire populations in Ireland has increased in recent decades.[32]
The Killarney
Invertebrates
Several unusual invertebrate species can be found in the Killarney valley. Some of these species, including the
The oak woods in the remote Glaism na Marbh valley are a stronghold for
The
Conservation threats
The park has a number of conservation and management challenges. One of these is the park's proximity to Killarney town, one of Ireland's best known tourist destinations. Killarney has hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Most of these visitors spend time in the park. Careful management is needed to ensure minimal conflict between conservation and recreation.[1]
The past introduction of several
Fires caused by human activity occur with some frequency in the park. Despite the wet climate, they can spread quite rapidly to cover large areas. These fires rarely penetrate areas covered by dense woodlands, but they do burn readily through stands of open woodland.[13] The park was damaged extensively by fires in April 2021.[34]
The main land use within the site is grazing by sheep.[6] Deer grazing is also common. The woods in the park are currently severely overgrazed by sika deer.[9] Grazing has caused damage to many terrestrial habitats, causing heath and blanket bogs to degrade and preventing woodland regeneration. In the upland areas erosion caused by grazing is exacerbated by the exposed nature of the terrain.[6] Pressures from native grazers like red deer and Irish hare have increased since their main natural predators, the wolf and golden eagle, became extinct.[2] Grazing and disturbance of vegetation greatly aids the spread of rhododendron.[9]
The common rhododendron is perhaps the greatest threat to the ecology of the park.
Tourism
The park is open for tourism year-round.[4] There is a visitor and education centre at Killarney House. Visitor attractions in the park include Dinis Cottage, Knockreer Demesne, Inisfallen Island, Ladies View, the Meeting of the Waters and the Old Weir Bridge, Muckross Abbey, Muckross House, the Muckross Peninsula, the Old Kenmare Road, O'Sullivan's Cascade, Ross Castle and Ross Island, Tomies Oakwood, and Torc Waterfall. There is a network of surfaced paths in the Knockreer, Muckross, and Ross Island areas that can be used by cyclists and walkers. The Old Kenmare Road and the track around Tomies Oakwood have views over Lough Leane and Killarney. Boat trips on the lakes are available.[11]
Muckross House is a Victorian mansion, close to Muckross Lake's eastern shore, beneath the backdrop of Mangerton and Torc mountains. The house has now been restored and attracts more than 250,000 visitors a year. Muckross Gardens are famous for their collection of rhododendrons, hybrids and azaleas, and exotic trees. Muckross Traditional Farms is a working farm project that recreates Irish rural life in the 1930s, prior to electrification. Knockreer House is used as the National Park Education Centre.[4]
See also
- List of national parks of the Republic of Ireland
- Muckross House
- Ross Castle
- Lakes of Killarney
- Killarney
- Purple Mountains
- Mountains of East Kerry
- Muckross Abbey
- Aghadoe
- Killarney House
- Kenmare House
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Dúchas. "About Killarney National Park". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p National Parks and Wildlife Service (1 April 2005). "Killarney National Park Site Synopsis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u National Parks and Wildlife Service. "Killarney National Park". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ JSTOR 2259678.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r National Parks and Wildlife Service (5 December 2005). "Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River Catchment Site Synopsis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Dúchas. "History of the Park". Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b Craig, A. (2001). The Role of the State in Protecting Natural Areas in Ireland: 30 Years Of Progress (PDF). Royal Irish Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007.
- ^ JSTOR 2259638.
- ^ UNEP (3 June 2004). "Killarney National Park". World Database on Protected Areas. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Dúchas. "Visiting the Park". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Power, M.; F. Igoe; S. Neylon. Dietary Analysis of Sympatric Arctic Char And Brown Trout in Lough Muckross, South-Western Ireland. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j O'Sullivan, Aileen; Daniel L. Kelly. A Recent History of Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl.)-Dominated Woodland in Killarney, S.W. Ireland, Based on Tree-Ring Analysis. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Dúchas. "Cultural Heritage". Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dúchas. "Killarney Oakwoods". Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d Muckross Research Library. "Former Muckross Owners". Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ Dúchas. "Muckross House, Gardens and Traditional Farms". Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-08-044706-3.
- ^ Murphy, Mary (30 September 2004). "Park bosses outline aims for the future". The Kingdom. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dúchas. "The Lakes". Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b The Department of the Environment and Local Government. "Living with Nature: The Designation of Nature Conservation Sites in Ireland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Dúchas. "Reenadinna". Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ PMID 33874269.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Kelly, Daniel L.; Susan F. Iremonger (1997). Irish Wetland Woods: The Plant Communities And Their Ecology (PDF). Royal Irish Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dúchas. "Noteworthy Species". Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Dúchas. "Red Deer". Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b Nolan, L.M.; J.T. Walsh (2005). Wild Deer Management in Ireland: Stalker Training Manual (PDF).
- ^ a b c d Dúchas. "Bird Life in the Park". Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ RTÉ News – Rare eagle reintroduced to Ireland – August 2007
- ^ update on white tailed eagles April 2009 Archived 19 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Igoe, Fran; Johna Hammar (2004). The Arctic Char Salvelinus Alpinus (L.) Species Complex in Ireland: A Secretive And Threatened Ice Age Relict (PDF). Royal Irish Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2005.
- ^ ENFO. "Dragonflies & Damselflies" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ Sheehy, Paschal (26 April 2021). "Half of Killarney park landmass damaged in fires". RTÉ.ie.
- ^ a b c Dúchas. "Rhododendron Infestation". Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- .