Assessment of the impact of past disturbance and prehistoric Pinus sylvestris on vegetation dynamics and soil development in Uragh Wood, SW Ireland

Abstract

Soil and pollen analysis from an acidophillous oak wood in southwest Ireland are presented. Radio carbon dating provides a temporal scale for pedogenesis and the parallel dynamics of the woodland vegetation. The dominance of Pinus in the wood before 2000 BP, anthropogenic disturbance 300 years ago and intermittent fire are all investigated as causal factors in podzol development at this site. The dominance of Pinus in the wood came to an abrupt end at 1980 BP which is consistent with data from Killarney but at least 2000 years later than the regional decline for the rest of the country. Soil analytical techniques used to investigate pedo genetic processes suggest that podzolization is active and ongoing. However, soil radiocarbon dates suggest that podzolization was initiated prior to c. 700 BP under a mixed forest canopy and before any substantial opening of the canopy due to human impact. Anthropogenic disturbance during the last 300 years has probably accelerated the podzolization process.