Rolling Lowlands

Ireland is mostly comprised of lowlands. The midlands of Ireland are made up of a central plain of carboniferous limestone with elevation generally less than 150 m above sea level, giving rise to limestone soils which are described in Chap. 9. In this chapter, we focus on the remaining lowland areas that occur around this central plain. Lowlands are typically associated with Brown Earths and Luvisols. Brown Earths are found associated with sandstone bedrock whilst Rendzina and Luvisols (although not always) are typically associated with limestone bedrock. Alluvial soils are widely found along waterways, estuarine or marine environments. In general, Brown Earths are considered good agricultural soils with a wide use range potential. In particular, their natural free drainage means that they do not require additional drainage and their ability to retain nutrients means that they have good agricultural potential. Humic Brown Earths, such as the Ashgrove series with high organic matter content in the topsoil may be moderately acidic and may therefore benefit from periodic liming. Groundwater Gleys are water-affected soils, typically found in depressions and so have a limited use range with a high susceptibility to poaching. Alluvial soils reflect similar characteristics to Groundwater Gleys and are limited due to their very high risk of flooding. The main limitation with Brown Podzolics is associated with the nutrient status of these soils, which require frequent liming to neutralise the acidity and other amendments to increase fertility.