Publication details
A pollen-based quantitative reconstruction of the Holocene vegetation updates a perspective on the natural vegetation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Preslia |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | http://www.preslia.cz/P164Abraham.pdf |
| Field | Ecology |
| Keywords | Czech Republic - Holocene - pollen analysis - potential natural vegetation - REVEALS model - Slovakia - spruce - vegetation reconstruction |
| Description | The primary aim of this paper is to provide a pollen-based quantitative reconstruction of Holo - cene vegetation in order to update a perspective o n natural vegetation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As a secondary aim we compare compositio n of this reconstructed Holocene vegetation with the composition of potential natural vegetation (PNV sensu Neuhäuslová et al. 1998) in the area studied. Based on 87 individual pollen seque nces, we estimate the changes in Holocene veg - etation that have occurred in nine circular regi ons, each 60km in radius. We obtained estimates of regional vegetation using the REVEALS model ( Regional Estimates of VEgetation Abundance from Large Sites). This model considers pollen productivity, dispersal and taphonomic differ - ences between taxa. The development of post-glaci al vegetation can be divided into three general phases: Early, Middle and Late Holocene. Clusteri ng of the interregional variability clearly sepa - rated lowlands from middle altitudes and mount ains. The Early Holocene was dominated by semi-open pine forest in nearly all the regions studied. Mixed oak woodlands appeared in the Middle Holocene and only in the lowlands, while the rest of the area studied was dominated by spruce (> 32%) forest. The percentage of spruce remained high (> 19%) in fir-beech forests of the Late Holocene. The dominance an d co-dominance of spruce at middle and high altitudes during the Middle and Late Holocene differs most from p revious interpretations of pollen percentages. We attribute this to the climatic and edaphic conditions differing from those in other parts of cen - tral Europe at a similar altitude. Continuous presence of Poaceae (> 9%) and pioneer trees during theentireHolocene( Pinus > 6%) indicates an important role of factors sustaining their long-term abundance, be it herbivory, fire or other kinds of disturbance, natural and/or anthropogenic. The Preslia 88: 409–434, 2016 409 PNV composition, compared to estimates of Holocene vegetation for AD 500–1000, assumes a larger representation of broadleaved taxa ( Fagus, Carpinus and Quercus ) at the expense of Picea . In spite of the high compositional difference between PNV and Holocene vegetation for AD 500–1000, we found a relationship between the natur alness of present-day vegetation as esti - mated by PNV and the compositional turnover from AD 500–1000 to the present day. This indi - cates that quantitative palynology and phytosocio logy have the potential to produce complemen - tary results and their combination can contribu te to a more integrated perspective on natural vegetation. |