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Curragh (habitat)
Encyclopedia
The Curraghs, also known as the Ballaugh
Curraghs is an area of wetland
in the north-west of the Isle of Man
. The area has a rich and varied biodiversity
and is also the location of the Curraghs Wildlife Park
, a zoo and nature reserve that incorporates the wetlands.
the area was covered in sheets of ice. When this ice retreated, a depression
was left at the bottom of the Northern Hills and the wetlands were formed in this basin.
Over the years the land has been used to graze animals and grow hay
, one of the few exploitable crops suited to the conditions of the wetlands. The Curraghs has also been a valuable resource for humans, as well as providing aesthetic appeal; the area is rich in peat
, which was used as a fuel
in the island's homes. The nearby town of Kirk Michael was a great consumer of the peat in the Curraghs.
It was the exploitation of peat that made the land slightly drier than it is today. When the practice of peat cutting was discontinued, the ditches in the area filled with water and bogs were formed.
In the 1930s, the Manx government intended to make a profit by growing New Zealand flax
on the Curraghs. This plan failed, but in the 1950s the government pressed ahead with another plan to drain the Curraghs, so that the area could be extensively farmed. However, with the land 15 m above sea level, it was decided that it was not economically viable to drain the wetlands.
The 1963 much of the area came under control of the Manx government
, and two years later, the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Curraghs Wildlife Park
was opened. In 1990, protection of the government-controlled area was transferred to the Manx National Heritage
; and in 2006 193 hectares of the Curragh became a designated RAMSAR
site, an organisation devoted to conserving important areas of wetland worldwide.
s in Europe
; a bird that descends on the area during the Winter months. Other birds include peregrine falcon
s, merlins
, robins
, willow warbler
s, song thrush
es and dunnock
s among others. There is also a subspecies of wren
, possibly unique to the Isle.
The area is also notable for its diversity of butterflies, and the Wildlife Park, whilst home to over 100 animals from around the world (including pelicans, gibbon
s, otters and penguins), also features a Butterfly Walk, an opportunity for visitors to see the insects in an environment designed for them. One notable species is the Orange Tip.
Ballaugh Curragh has a persistent breeding colony of wild wallabies
, said to be the largest in the British Isles, descended from two that escaped from the wildlife park some years ago. They seem to occupy a similar ecological niche to hares..
The Curraghs are a veritable tapestry of scrubland, including willow and bog myrtle scrub. Sphagnum Moss
, a common species, is responsible for the high levels of peat
in the area. The peat and wetland topography of the area combine to create a series of bog
s. The abundance of peat has had a direct affect on the Isle's human inhabitants over the years, with the peat being used as fuel in people's homes.
The Curraghs are also home to six different species of orchid; including the Heath spotted orchid
.
, a curragh refers to the willow
scrub habitat
found in the Isle of Man
.
Ballaugh
Ballaugh is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of the same name. It is the only village in the parish.-Village:The village is situated on the main A3 Castletown to Ramsey road about seven miles west of Ramsey...
Curraghs is an area of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
in the north-west of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. The area has a rich and varied biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
and is also the location of the Curraghs Wildlife Park
Curraghs Wildlife Park
Curraghs Wildlife Park is a Wildlife Park, located in The Curraghs, , an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man....
, a zoo and nature reserve that incorporates the wetlands.
History
During the Ice AgeIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
the area was covered in sheets of ice. When this ice retreated, a depression
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
was left at the bottom of the Northern Hills and the wetlands were formed in this basin.
Over the years the land has been used to graze animals and grow hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
, one of the few exploitable crops suited to the conditions of the wetlands. The Curraghs has also been a valuable resource for humans, as well as providing aesthetic appeal; the area is rich in peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, which was used as a fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
in the island's homes. The nearby town of Kirk Michael was a great consumer of the peat in the Curraghs.
It was the exploitation of peat that made the land slightly drier than it is today. When the practice of peat cutting was discontinued, the ditches in the area filled with water and bogs were formed.
In the 1930s, the Manx government intended to make a profit by growing New Zealand flax
New Zealand flax
New Zealand flax describes common New Zealand perennial plants Phormium tenax and Phormium cookianum, known by the Māori names harakeke and wharariki respectively...
on the Curraghs. This plan failed, but in the 1950s the government pressed ahead with another plan to drain the Curraghs, so that the area could be extensively farmed. However, with the land 15 m above sea level, it was decided that it was not economically viable to drain the wetlands.
The 1963 much of the area came under control of the Manx government
House of Keys
The House of Keys is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council....
, and two years later, the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Curraghs Wildlife Park
Curraghs Wildlife Park
Curraghs Wildlife Park is a Wildlife Park, located in The Curraghs, , an area of wetland in the north-west of the Isle of Man....
was opened. In 1990, protection of the government-controlled area was transferred to the Manx National Heritage
Manx National Heritage
Manx National Heritage is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. It was established in 1951 as the Manx National Trust, and its legal title is the Manx Museum and National Trust.-Overview:...
; and in 2006 193 hectares of the Curragh became a designated RAMSAR
Ramsar
Ramsar is a city in and the capital of Ramsar County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,659, in 9,421 families....
site, an organisation devoted to conserving important areas of wetland worldwide.
Fauna
The area is deemed important as it is inhabited by the second-largest roost of Hen HarrierHen Harrier
The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates...
s in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; a bird that descends on the area during the Winter months. Other birds include peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s, merlins
Merlin (bird)
The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...
, robins
European Robin
The European Robin , most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family , but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher...
, willow warbler
Willow Warbler
The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia...
s, song thrush
Song Thrush
The Song Thrush is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It is also known in English dialects as throstle or mavis. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies...
es and dunnock
Dunnock
The Dunnock, Prunella modularis, is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species...
s among others. There is also a subspecies of wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
, possibly unique to the Isle.
The area is also notable for its diversity of butterflies, and the Wildlife Park, whilst home to over 100 animals from around the world (including pelicans, gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s, otters and penguins), also features a Butterfly Walk, an opportunity for visitors to see the insects in an environment designed for them. One notable species is the Orange Tip.
Ballaugh Curragh has a persistent breeding colony of wild wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, said to be the largest in the British Isles, descended from two that escaped from the wildlife park some years ago. They seem to occupy a similar ecological niche to hares..
Flora
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
, a common species, is responsible for the high levels of peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
in the area. The peat and wetland topography of the area combine to create a series of bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s. The abundance of peat has had a direct affect on the Isle's human inhabitants over the years, with the peat being used as fuel in people's homes.
The Curraghs are also home to six different species of orchid; including the Heath spotted orchid
Dactylorhiza maculata
The Heath Spotted Orchid or Moorland Spotted Orchid , is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:...
.
Etymology
In Manx GaelicManx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
, a curragh refers to the willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
scrub habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
found in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.