Richmond Esker | |
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Richmond EskerLocation of Richmond Esker in Ireland | |
Type | National |
Location | near Moylough, County Galway |
Coordinates | 53°31′55″N 8°37′01″W / 53.532°N 8.617°W / 53.532; -8.617 |
Area | 39 acres (15.78 ha) |
Operated by | National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) |
Status | Open all year |
Richmond Esker is a national nature reserve of approximately 39 acres (0.16 km) located near Moylough, County Galway, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service.
Features
Richmond Esker was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1985.
Richmond Esker, with Timahoe Esker, is one of only a small number of esker ridges that remain in Ireland and that have native woodland. The site has been planted with conifers and other non-native species, but the NPWS have stated the goal of expanding the native woods through management. A review of historical maps of the area concluded that there was a period around 1838 that the area was completely devoid of trees, and that the wood had been re-established by 1892. In 1951 Fagus sylvatica and Larix were planted on the site. Other species recorded on the reserve include Avenula pubescens, Luzula sylvatica, Poa nemoralis, and Mnium hornum.
References
- "S.I. No. 380/1985 - Nature Reserve (Richmond Esker) Establishment Order, 1985". electronic Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- "Richmond Esker Nature Reserve". National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- "Walk on the Wild Side". People and Nature - The County Galway Biodiversity Project. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- Cross, J. R. (1992). "The Distribution, Character and Conservation of Woodlands on Esker Ridges in Ireland". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Section B: Biological, Geological, and Chemical Science. 92B: 1–19. ISSN 0035-8983. Retrieved 29 August 2020.