ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF PAST DISTURBANCE AND PREHISTORIC PINUS-SYLVESTRIS ON VEGETATION DYNAMICS AND SOIL DEVELOPMENT IN URAGH-WOOD, SWIRELAND

Soil and pollen analysis from an acidophillous oak wood in southwest I reland are presented. Radiocarbon 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 disturba nce 300 years ago and intermittent tire are all investigated as causal factors in podzol development at this site. The dominance of Pious in the wood came to an abrupt end at 1980 BP which is consistent with da ta from Killarney but at least 2000 years later than the regional decl ine for the rest of the country. Soil analytical techniques used to in vestigate pedogenetic processes suggest that podzolization is active a nd ongoing. However, soil radiocarbon dates suggest that podzolization was initiated prior to c. 700 BP under a mixed forest canopy and befo re any substantial opening of the canopy due to human impact. Anthropo genic disturbance during the last 300 years has probably accelerated t he podzolization process.