Persistence of a vegetation mosaic in a peripheral region: could turbulent medieval history disrupt Holocene continuity of extremely species-rich grasslands?

0493057 - BÚ 2019 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Hájková, Petra - Jamrichová, Eva - Petr, L. - Dudová, Lydie - Roleček, Jan - Gálová, A. - Dresler, P. - Novák, J. - Hájek, M.
Persistence of a vegetation mosaic in a peripheral region: could turbulent medieval history disrupt Holocene continuity of extremely species-rich grasslands?
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. Roč. 27, č. 4 (2018), s. 591-610. ISSN 0939-6314. E-ISSN 1617-6278
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-10100S
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : human impact * landscape history * macrofossils * pollen * White Carpathians
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 2.482, year: 2018

Fluctuations in intensity of human impact and corresponding vegetation changes have been reported from different parts of Europe for the period from the beginning of the 1st millennium ad to the high Middle Ages. In the Bílé Karpaty mountains (White Carpathians), a region well-known for its biologically valuable ancient grasslands, an extensive spread of woodland could have occurred in the Migration period (4th–6th century) and especially in the Confinium period (11th–12th century), when settling of this border region was legally prohibited. However, Holocene continuity of non-woodland vegetation was suggested as an explanation for the unique species richness of the local grasslands. We analysed four new profiles from wetland deposits for pollen, macrofossils and abiotic proxies, and re-dated some old profiles from the area. The results show the continual presence of human impact indicators since the Migration period in the southwest of the Bílé Karpaty, where these unique grasslands occur. Grazing and burning seem to have been the main disturbances during the older period, while mowing of meadows by scythe became more important since the 17th century.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0286520