The West of Ireland (WOI)
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Sample Essay of Physical Factors & Primary Economic Activities
The West of Ireland (WOI) is a peripheral region in Ireland which is made up of 3 counties: Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon. It has an interesting and varied landscape which can effect Primary Economic Activities in the area.
2 factors that affect Primary Ec Activities in the WOI are: (pick2)
Climate
Soils/ Drainage/Relief
Conclusion:
We can see how ________________& __________________ effects Agriculture in the WOI.
2 factors that affect Primary Ec Activities in the WOI are: (pick2)
- Climate
- Relief
- Soils
- Drainage
Climate
- Cool temperate Oceanic Climate means that summers are warm and winters are mild. This is mainly due to the influence of the North Atlantic Drift, which brings mild changeable weather.
- Av. Temperatures range from 5 degrees Celsius in Jan- 14.5degrees Celsius in July. This may vary according to altitude. There is a shorter growing season in the WOI than GDA as crops need 4 degrees before growth takes place.
- There are high levels of precipitation 1500-2000mm per/yr. Relief Rainfall dominates upland areas as clouds move in from the Atlantic and are forced up over the Mountain ranges of Galway (Maamturk Mts) and Mayo (Nephin Beg Mts). This leads to boggy, water-logged soil that is not suited to tillage farming.
- Av. Daily sunshine is between 3.25 and 3.5 hours which again affects ability to grow crops.
Soils/ Drainage/Relief
- Soils are varied- The Mountains that dominate Connemara and West Mayo are peaty gleys.
- The lowland areas further east are made of shallow brown earths (not deep enough), gleys and podzols (too acidic for growing crops).
- Thin soils in East Galway dry out very quickly in summer reducing supply of grass and options for farmers.
- The Drumlin Belt that reaches inland from Clew Bay shows how glaciation once dominated the area. This removed much of the topsoil, leaving behind only impermeable boulder clay. The soils are therefore often waterlogged and heavy and so are unsuitable for growing crops.
- Leaching also causes a hardpan to develop in much of the region which also causes soil to become waterlogged. Agriculture is therefore limited to summer pasture only or rough grazing for sheep. (1/3 of all specialist sheep farms are in WOI)
- Dairying and tillage are the 2 most lucrative farming activities but are not widespread in WOI
- Dairying is confined to NE Mayo
- Tillage practically non-existent due to soils eg only 2.4% national barley grown here
Conclusion:
We can see how ________________& __________________ effects Agriculture in the WOI.
Essay on Primary Economic Activities
The West of Ireland (WOI) is a peripheral region in Ireland which is made up of 3 counties: Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon. Primary Economic Activities although limited are more important in the WOI than in the rest of Ireland.
2 Primary Ec Activities common in the WOI are: (pick2)
Agriculture:
Fishing
2 Primary Ec Activities common in the WOI are: (pick2)
- Fishing
- Farming
- Forestry
- Mining
Agriculture:
- Farming is vital to the west but it is generally ineffective - it is labour intensive with a poor return.
- Farms are 30% smaller than the national average and 30% of farms in the west are under 10 hectares (25 acres)
- Most farmers do not make enough to practice farming fulltime and are engaged in other employment also.
- 30% of farmers are over 65 – this large percentage tends to practice traditional methods and are not pro-innovation.
- Out-Migration of young people for college and job opportunities also threatens the future of agriculture in the WOI
- Most farms survive on EU subsidies. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was introduced as part of an EU incentive giving direct payments to struggling farmers.
- Much of the soil in the region is poor quality and waterlogged. Agriculture is therefore limited to summer pasture only or rough grazing for sheep. (1/3 of all specialist sheep farms are in WOI)
- Dairying and tillage are the 2 most lucrative farming activities but are not widespread in WOI
- Dairying is confined to NE Mayo
- Tillage practically non-existent due to soils eg only 2.4% national barley grown here
Fishing
- •The WOI is the perfect location for fishing as it has a very indented coastline full of sheltered bays and harbours.
- •It has plankton-rich waters due to the shallow continental shelf (which is less than 200m deep) resulting in large fish stocks
- •The Irish box - an area around Ireland where no one else has fishing rights
- •North Atlantic Drift (NAD) bring a mix of waters to the west coast therefore bringing a wide range of fish while also preventing harbours from freezing over in winter.
- •Recent development - aquaculture (fish farming) - growth industry - some fish farms in the west include salmon and shellfish including oysters and muscles eg Galway Bay, Clew bay, Kilary harbour
- •Eating fish is becoming more popular as people are more health conscious
- •Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is similar to the CAP and is a EU incentive.
- •Despite all obvious benefits this primary activity is struggling (unattractive lifestyle, increasing EU laws, dangerous)