Derrycunnihy Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Derrycunnihy Wood |
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View to northeast off N71
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| Type | National |
| Location | County Kerry |
| Area | 336 acres (135.97 ha) |
| Operated by | Coillte |
| Status | Open all year |
Derrycunnihy Wood is a special forest in County Kerry, Ireland. It's a protected area called a national nature reserve. This means it's a place where nature is kept safe and wild. About 336 acres (1.36 square kilometers) of land are part of this reserve. It is looked after by an organization called Coillte, which manages forests in Ireland.
What is Derrycunnihy Wood?
Derrycunnihy Wood is a very important natural area in Ireland. The Irish government officially protected it in 1989. This protection makes sure the unique plants and animals here are safe. The reserve is owned by Coillte, which is a company that manages most of Ireland's forests.
The name "Derrycunnihy" means "wood of the rabbits." This is a bit funny because there aren't many rabbits in the area today! The wood is located inside Killarney National Park, a famous and beautiful park in Ireland.
A Special Forest
Derrycunnihy Wood is believed to be one of the oldest and most natural oak forests in Ireland. It's a great example of a "damp-climate oceanic wood." This means it's a forest that gets a lot of rain and is close to the ocean. Because of this, you'll find a lot of thick mosses and ferns growing everywhere.
The main trees in this forest are sessile oak trees. Besides the dense woodland, the reserve also includes parts of a lake shore and areas of bog. Bogs are wetlands where special plants grow, and they are important habitats for many creatures.
Wildlife in the Wood
Two different kinds of deer live and graze in Derrycunnihy Wood. One type is the native red deer, which are Ireland's largest land mammals. These deer usually graze on the open hills during the winter months.
The other type of deer is the Japanese sika deer. These deer were brought to Ireland in the 18th century. Unlike the red deer, the sika deer graze in the woodland all year round. Their constant grazing has a big effect on the forest. They eat many of the leaves and twigs, creating areas that look like a mown lawn. You can often see a clear "brown line" in the forest where all the lower leaves and branches have been eaten by these deer.
