The Vegetation of Irish Machair
2006
Gaynor, Karen
<p>Machair is a highly specialised and complex sand dune habitat that is confined globally to the northwest coasts of Ireland and Scotland. It comprises a flat or gently undulating sandy plain that develops in an oceanic location with a cool, moist climate. Machair systems are highly calcareous, the sediments usually containing a high percentage of shell fragments and having pH values in excess of 7. The vegetation is herbaceous, with low frequency of typical sand-binding species such as <i>Ammophila arenaria</i>.</p><p>Irish machair is designated as a priority habitat under the EU Habitats Directive and as such Ireland has special responsibility for its conservation. The quality and extent of machair in Ireland is increasingly under threat from human pressures such as housing developments, recreation and changes in agricultural practice.</p><p>This paper describes the vegetation of Irish machair and examines how climatic, edaphic, geographic and anthropogenic factors not only influence the distribution and formation of machair, but the plant communities present. A comparison between the vegetation of Irish and Scottish machair reveals a high degree of similarity, with some variation that can be explained by different land-use and/or management practices.</p>
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