Callows () are a type of

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

found in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. They are a seasonally flooded grassland

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

found on low-lying river floodplains. The callows are located at the center of Ireland. 5856 hectares of the callows are protected as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). At the heart of the callows is the River Shannon: one of the only unregulated rivers left in western Europe. The River Shannon extends 360 kilometers. More than 20% of Ireland's landmass is drained by the River Shannon. Unlike many other parts of the world, the callows is relatively untouched by mankind. The area has not fallen victim to intensive

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

or development by humans, making it a refuge for a wide range of

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

. The callows are a wetland ecosystem full of rivers and creeks. Rolling hills and grassy

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

, which are full of cows, horses, flowers, birds, and more, extended for great distances in every direction. There are very few trees and tall plants as the grazers keep the plant life trimmed down. The region is also an

ecotone An ecotone is a transitional area between two plant communities, where these meet and integrate. Examples include areas between grassland and forest, estuaries and lagoon, freshwater and sea water etc. An ecotone may be narrow or wide, and it ma ...

that forms a gradient of dry to wet space controlled by flooding. Additionally the wetland area is mainly flat, which creates a flat river gradient and slows the movement of water. There are a few main characteristics that control the biodiversity of

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

ecosystems: hydrology, productivity, disturbance, and the

heterogeneity Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts relating to the uniformity of a substance, process or image. A homogeneous feature is uniform in composition or character (i.e., color, shape, size, weight, height, distribution, texture, language, i ...

of space. Fluctuations in water levels regulate plant distributions, species diversity, and the composition of the callows community. Factors, such as time, depth, and frequency, greatly affect the functioning of the ecosystem. The wetlands and meadows are home to a variety of organisms. The unique and well preserved habitat promotes a number of biological services. For example, spanning the vast meadows in this region are a range of insect-pollinated plant species. Thus,

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or bu ...

services are provided and the diversity of life in the callows will prevail. Even though the area is mainly free of human interaction, there are still some aspects of the callows that are regulated by people. First, since floodplains typically support

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

meadows, there are farmers that still cut hay annually. This process has gone on for hundreds of years and actually promotes diversity of flora. There have also been a number of failed attempts to control the magnitude and duration of flooding in the wetland area. As with most places on Earth,

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

driven by humans is altering the callows ecosystem. Many aspects of seasonal flooding will begin to change with the drier summers and wetter winters that predicted in the future. Wetter winters mean longer flooding time and potentially deeper flood pools. As flood levels begin to rise, plant species that are not used to flooding will be affected. This will also change dynamics between flora and fauna by limiting food and habitat space. Also, increased agriculture and development are future threats. Protecting the callows and keeping it as a conservation area is vital to the survival of the unique array of organisms that call the callows home.

Examples

Shannon Callows The Shannon Callows () are areas of flat land along the shores of the River Shannon. These areas lie between Athlone in County Westmeath, where the river flows out of Lough Ree, and Portumna in County Galway, where it enters Lough Derg, in cent ...

River Suck The River Suck ( ) is a river within the Shannon River Basin in Ireland, 133 km (82.5 mi) in length. It is the main tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon a kilometre south of the village of Shannonbridge. Name The riv ...

Callows * Little Brosna Callows * Lough Eidin *

Callan, County Kilkenny Callan () is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated 16 km (10 mi) south of Kilkenny on the N76 road to Clonmel, it is near the border with County Tipperary. It is ...

Castletroy Castletroy (, meaning O'Troy's Landing or O'Troy's Callow) is a suburb of Limerick, Ireland. The town was named after Castle Troy also known as the Black Castle, which is located on the southern bank of the River Shannon, roughly 2 km eas ...

Literary references

Patrick Deeley Patrick Deeley (born 1953) is an Irish poet. Patrick Deeley was born in Mullagh, Loughrea, County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, tak ...

's novel ''The Lost Orchard'' deals with the protection of "The Callows", a marshy area.

References

Wetlands {{ecology-stub