WIEZIK, Maroš, Libor PETR, Vlasta JANKOVSKA, Petra HÁJKOVÁ, Eva JAMRICHOVÁ, Richard HRIVNÁK, Michaela KORENÁ HILLAYOVA, Benjamín JARČUŠKA, František MÁLIŠ and Michal HÁJEK. Western-Carpathian mountain spruce woodlands at their southern margin: natural or anthropogenic origin? Preslia. Praha: Česká botanická společnost při AV ČR, 2020, vol. 92, No 2, p. 115-135. ISSN 0032-7786. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.23855/preslia.2020.115.
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Basic information
Original name Western-Carpathian mountain spruce woodlands at their southern margin: natural or anthropogenic origin?
Authors WIEZIK, Maroš (703 Slovakia, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Libor PETR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Vlasta JANKOVSKA (203 Czech Republic), Petra HÁJKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Eva JAMRICHOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Richard HRIVNÁK (703 Slovakia), Michaela KORENÁ HILLAYOVA (703 Slovakia), Benjamín JARČUŠKA (703 Slovakia), František MÁLIŠ (703 Slovakia) and Michal HÁJEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
Edition Preslia, Praha, Česká botanická společnost při AV ČR, 2020, 0032-7786.
Other information
Original language English
Type of outcome Article in a journal
Field of Study 10611 Plant sciences, botany
Country of publisher Czech Republic
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW URL
Impact factor Impact factor: 4.167
RIV identification code RIV/00216224:14310/20:00114367
Organization unit Faculty of Science
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.23855/preslia.2020.115
UT WoS 000573572400002
Keywords in English Picea abies; pollen analysis; spruce forests; zonal woodlands; Western Carpathians
Tags rivok
Tags International impact, Reviewed
Changed by Changed by: Mgr. Marie Šípková, DiS., učo 437722. Changed: 30/11/2020 11:52.
Abstract
Origin and dynamics of spruce woodlands in central Europe is an important topic due to the current disturbances triggered by bark beetle outbreaks and extreme climatic events. We focused on the Late Holocene development of spruce-dominated woodlands at their southern margin in the Western Carpathians. We analysed eight peat profiles along an altitudinal gradient of 730-1358 m a.s.l. and evaluated the pollen spectra separately for the period before and after the start of intense medieval or post-medieval human intervention in the landscape. We focused on the relative proportions of spruce, beech, fir and noble hardwood trees. Spatial variation in the proportions of beech and spruce exceeded the temporal variation, contrary to fir that declined generally. Proportion of spruce significantly increased over time but the effect differed among sites. Proportion of beech was highest at 800- 1000 m a.s.1., while that of spruce increased linearly with annual precipitation rather than altitude and reached the highest values on windward slopes and in wet valleys. Different dominant trees at the two highest altitude sites indicate that attitudinal gradient was less important in the area studied. Although foresters consider spruce woodland on the highest summits as naturally monodominant, we found an apparent admixture of fir, together with a small admixture of beech, in the period before human intervention. An exact reconstruction of the proportions of individual climax trees in past vegetation is, however, not yet possible. Based on macrofossils, spruce unlike beech, has occurred directly on peatlands. Local occurrence of spruce might increase its proportion in a pollen spectrum. Indeed, after anthropogenic deforestation, its proportion decreased. It increased again as late as the establishment of spruce monocultures either by natural succession on abandoned pastures or by forestry. In addition to the effect of local spruce occurrence, modern pollen spectra further demonstrate an over-representation of spruce relative to beech and fir pollen even in a mixed woodland on the highest summit site. We conclude that spruce is a major natural component of mountain woodlands even at its southern margin. Contrary to previous expectation, we demonstrate that the proportion of spruce was not associated with altitude but with mesoclimate and soil humidity. The natural spruce woodlands were mixed or existed as mosaics at all altitudes and the monodominant character of spruce woodlands in the area of summits is not natural.
Links
GA17-05696S, research and development projectName: Holocenní vývoj evropské bioty mírného pásu: vlivy klimatu, refugií a lokálních faktorů testované na komplexních datech nezávislých proxy
Investor: Czech Science Foundation
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