Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia
(Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological
analysis

J 2017

Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis

NOVÁK, Jan, Vojtěch ABRAHAM, Petr KOČÁR, Libor PETR, Romana KOČÁROVÁ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis

Authors

NOVÁK, Jan (203 Czech Republic, guarantor), Vojtěch ABRAHAM (203 Czech Republic), Petr KOČÁR (203 Czech Republic), Libor PETR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Romana KOČÁROVÁ (203 Czech Republic), Kateřina NOVÁKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic), Petra HOUFKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic), Vlasta JANKOVSKÁ (203 Czech Republic) and Zdeněk VANĚČEK (203 Czech Republic)

Edition

Holocene, London, SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017, 0959-6836

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.419

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00096286

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683616660166

UT WoS

000395385500004

Keywords in English

altitude; archaeological sites; biases of analysis; charcoals; pollen analysis; woodland history

Abstract

V originále

The aims of this article are, first, to investigate the middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history along the altitudinal gradient between the lowlands and uplands of Central Europe (190–550 m a.s.l.) and, second, to outline possible biases inherent in the charcoal record based on a comparison with the pollen record and its known biases. Our anthracological data set contains 42,547 determinations made in 120 charcoal samples taken at 69 sites. The lowest elevated part of the study region (below 200 m a.s.l.) is characterized by the long-term presence of a species-rich hardwood forest (mixed oak–elm–ash forest). Quercus charcoals dominated in the rest of the altitude zones during the Neolithic and Aeneolithic; however, shrub charcoals appearing in samples from areas with chernozem soils (generally up to 230 m a.s.l.) indicate open-canopy oak woodlands. The species composition differed along the altitudinal gradient during the Bronze Age period, when Carpinus, Fagus and Abies expanded to altitudes above 230 m a.s.l., while Fagus was more abundant above 290 m a.s.l. Broadleaved trees ( Quercus, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Acer and Carpinus ) and shrubs are generally more represented in charcoals than pollen. Since broadleaved trees are usually nutrient demanding and able to re-grow easily after being felled, we suppose that their charcoal record is influenced by two main factors: bias of the initial location of the archaeological site and bias caused by long-term human influence on forest vegetation in the vicinity of settlements. These results underline that combining charcoal and pollen analysis has great potential for studying phenomena in cultural landscapes, as each of the methods approaches nature from the opposite side of the human–nature gradient. Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis.

Citovat

NOVÁK, Jan, Vojtěch ABRAHAM, Petr KOČÁR, Libor PETR, Romana KOČÁROVÁ, Kateřina NOVÁKOVÁ, Petra HOUFKOVÁ, Vlasta JANKOVSKÁ and Zdeněk VANĚČEK. Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis. Holocene. London: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017, vol. 27, No 3, p. 349-360. ISSN 0959-6836. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683616660166.

@article{1375232,
   author = {Novák, Jan and Abraham, Vojtěch and Kočár, Petr and Petr, Libor and Kočárová, Romana and Nováková, Kateřina and Houfková, Petra and Jankovská, Vlasta and Vaněček, Zdeněk},
   article_location = {London},
   article_number = {3},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683616660166},
   keywords = {altitude; archaeological sites; biases of analysis; charcoals; pollen analysis; woodland history},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0959-6836},
   journal = {Holocene},
   title = {Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis},
   url = {http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0959683616660166},
   volume = {27},
   year = {2017}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1375232
AU  - Novák, Jan - Abraham, Vojtěch - Kočár, Petr - Petr, Libor - Kočárová, Romana - Nováková, Kateřina - Houfková, Petra - Jankovská, Vlasta - Vaněček, Zdeněk
PY  - 2017
TI  - Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis
JF  - Holocene
VL  - 27
IS  - 3
SP  - 349-360
EP  - 349-360
PB  - SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
SN  - 09596836
KW  - altitude
KW  - archaeological sites
KW  - biases of analysis
KW  - charcoals
KW  - pollen analysis
KW  - woodland history
UR  - http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0959683616660166
N2  - The aims of this article are, first, to investigate the middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history along the altitudinal gradient between the lowlands and uplands of Central Europe (190–550 m a.s.l.) and, second, to outline possible biases inherent in the charcoal record based on a comparison with the pollen record and its known biases. Our anthracological data set contains 42,547 determinations made in 120 charcoal samples taken at 69 sites. The lowest elevated part of the study region (below 200 m a.s.l.) is characterized by the long-term presence of a species-rich hardwood forest (mixed oak–elm–ash forest). Quercus charcoals dominated in the rest of the altitude zones during the Neolithic and Aeneolithic; however, shrub charcoals appearing in samples from areas with chernozem soils (generally up to 230 m a.s.l.) indicate open-canopy oak woodlands. The species composition differed along the altitudinal gradient during the Bronze Age period, when Carpinus, Fagus and Abies expanded to altitudes above 230 m a.s.l., while Fagus was more abundant above 290 m a.s.l. Broadleaved trees ( Quercus, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Acer and Carpinus ) and shrubs are generally more represented in charcoals than pollen. Since broadleaved trees are usually nutrient demanding and able to re-grow easily after being felled, we suppose that their charcoal record is influenced by two main factors: bias of the initial location of the archaeological site and bias caused by long-term human influence on forest vegetation in the vicinity of settlements. These results underline that combining charcoal and pollen analysis has great potential for studying phenomena in cultural landscapes, as each of the methods approaches nature from the opposite side of the human–nature gradient. Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis.
ER  -

NOVÁK, Jan, Vojtěch ABRAHAM, Petr KOČÁR, Libor PETR, Romana KOČÁROVÁ, Kateřina NOVÁKOVÁ, Petra HOUFKOVÁ, Vlasta JANKOVSKÁ and Zdeněk VANĚČEK. Middle- and upper-Holocene woodland history in central Moravia (Czech Republic) reveals biases of pollen and anthracological analysis. \textit{Holocene}. London: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2017, vol.~27, No~3, p.~349-360. ISSN~0959-6836. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683616660166.

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