Soils

• Upland areas are covered in infertile peat soils, which are prone to waterlogging due to relief rainfall. No crops can be grown in these soils.
• It is impossible to use machinery on infertile peat soils due to waterlogging.
• In some areas thin infertile Podzol soils are common.
• Infertile Podzol soils are heavily leached as minerals are washed from the A Horizon to the B Horizon.
• Leaching can lead to the development of a hard pan and waterlogging again preventing crop growth.
• The most common type of farming is sheep and goat rearing.
• Overgrazing  has occurred in some mountainous areas by  sheep and goats.
• 27% of upland areas are overgrazed and suffer from soil erosion.
• In parts of South Galway brown earth soils are found.
• Brown earth soils are not as deep as in other parts of Ireland and are called shallow brown earths.
• Brown earth soils are the most fertile soils in this region and are used for beef cattle.
• Cattle are often sent to the GDA for fattening.
• Cattle farming is worth €144m in the North and Western Region and €644m in GDA highlighting the differences between the two regions.
• Glacial erosion has removed soil cover in places like Connemara preventing productive agriculture.
• Gley soils have developed in the Northern  region. They are infertile soils and farmers in this area  rely on poultry and mushroom farming which doesn’t need good soil.