Mountain Water Towers

Mountain Hydrology Research
in the Comeragh Mountains. Photo: M.Maunsell

What a summer it’s been, yesterday and today had severe weather warnings issued for high winds and heavy rainfall in the Mountains.  Anyone working in mountain areas in Ireland has been faced with challenging times.    

Even in such wet conditions it’s easy to forget that mountains play a very important role in Ireland’s water supply, not just to communities in mountain or upland areas, but also to our towns and cities. 

Mountain Stream.  Photo: M.Maunsell

All our rivers are fed be upland catchment areas, the rain that falls in the mountains feeds all our streams, rivers and reservoirs.  The two largest cities on the Island of Ireland are dependent on water from the mountains.  Belfast relies on the vast amount of water collected in the reservoirs of Mourn Mountains (Silent Valley, Ben Crom,  Lough Island Reavy, Foffany and Spelga Dam), which then flows under the force of gravity to Belfast.  Dublin relies on the reservoirs in Wicklow, the Vartry at Roundwood  and Poulaphouca at Blessington.  This is why mountains are known as the water towers of humanity.  Enjoy the summer!

Mountain Lichens in Ireland

Cladonia floerkeana 
in the Comeragh Mountains. 
Photo: M.Maunsell

I often come across lichens in the mountains, such as this beautiful Cladonia floerkeana in the photo, but identifying and recording these wonderful organisms can often be a challenge. 

Many people who use the mountains either for their livelihood or recreation never notice these delicate organisms, and when I point out lichens to clients they become enthralled, and start asking lots of questions, saying they never noticed them before.  Soon they become fascinated and want to learn more.   

Lichens are organisms that grow on rocks, tree branches, or bare ground. They do not have roots, stems, flowers, or leaves. Lichens are not one single organism but a composition  of a green alga  and a colourless fungus which co-exist for their mutual benefit (symbiosis), while the fungus provides protection the algae makes food for the lichen, though scientist are not quite sure if one benefits more than the other.   

Some species of lichens can commonly reach ages of many centuries, especially those alpine or arctic tundra, one Arctic lichen was discovered to be 9000 years old.  Lichens can play an important role in soil formation as they are among the first organisms to colonize sites as they are released from glacial ice.

If you want to know more about lichens in Ireland’s mountains or need help with identification, check out the web site Lichen .ie (Link below)

I’d also highly recommend Paul Whelan’s excellent book 'Lichens of Ireland' (Link below)

Lichen Ireland Website

'Lichens of Ireland' Book by Paul Whelan

What is Biodiversity ?

Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is one of the key terms in conservation, encompassing the richness of life and the diverse patterns it forms. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD 2004) defines biological diversity as: "the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia,             terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of           which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems" (European Commission 2012).

Europe hosts a unique set of natural diversity, including hot spots like the Mediterranean.  However, biodiversity loss has accelerated to an unprecedented level, both in Europe and worldwide. It has been estimated that the current global extinction rate is 1000 to 10000 times higher than the natural background extinction rate. 
In Europe some 42% of European mammals are endangered, together with 15% of birds and 45% of butterflies and reptiles. The Arctic fox, the Iberian lynx, native squirrel are all under serious threat. There are only a few hundred lynx left, for example, living in four pockets of land in Spain. Cut off from one another, the big cat communities are being weakened by inbreeding.

  Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
in the Comeragh Mountains. 
Photo: M.Maunsell

Biodiversity matters for Ethical, Emotional, Environmental and Economic. Ecosystems have intrinsic value. They provide emotional and aesthetic experiences. They offer outstanding opportunities for recreation. They clean our water, purify our air and maintain our soils. They regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. They provide raw materials and resources for medicines and other purposes. They form the foundation on which we build our societies.

Photo:  Although poisonous, the foxglove is of enormous use in medicine, it has been of major benefit in the treatment of heart disease.