Skip to main content
Log in

Holocene dynamics of the alpine timberline in the High Sudetes

  • Full Paper
  • Published:
Biologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study focuses on the High Sudetes that represent the most distinctive islands of alpine forest-free area among hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe. Based on data from newly taken cores and previously published pollen profiles, comparison of the development of the alpine timberline position is carried out. The first of the analysed pollen profiles — the Labský důl core in the Krkonoše Mts spans the whole period of the Holocene, the Keprník and Mezikotlí profiles in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts bring information from the Subboreal/older Subatlanticum turn to the present. An exceptional position of the Krkonoše Mts in terms of permanent presence of the alpine belt throughout the Holocene was confirmed. Three oscillations of the alpine timberline during the Lower Holocene were detected in the profile from the Labský důl site. In the Hrubý Jeseník Mts a temperature dependent forest-free area existed at least since Subboreal to the present.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beug H.J., Henrion I. & Schmüsser A. 1999. Landschaftgeschichte im Hochharz. Papierflieger Verlag, Clausthal, 454 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Engel Z., Treml V., Křížek M. & Jankovská V. 2005. Late glacial/Holocene sedimentary record from the Labe source area, the Krkonoše Mts. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geographica 39(1): 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firbas F. 1952. Spät-und nacheiszeitliche Waldgeschichte Mitteleuropas nördlich der Alpen II. Verlag von Gustav Fischer, Jena, 282 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimm E.C. 1992. TILIA 1.11 and TILIA GRAPH 1.17. Illinois state museum, Research and Collection center, Springfield, 65 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas J.N., Richoz I., Tinner W. & Wick L. 1998. Synchronous Holocene climatic oscillations recorded on the Swiss plateau and at timberline in the Alps. Holocene 8: 301–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hieri O., Lotter A.F., Hausmann S. & Kienast F. 2003. A chironomid-based Holocene summer air temperature reconstruction from the Swiss Alps. Holocene 13: 477–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holtmeier F.-K. & Broll G. 2005. Sensitivity and response of northern hemisphere altitudinal and polar treelines to environmental change at landscape and local scales. Global. Ecol. Biogeogr. 14: 395–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huettemann H. & Bortenschlager S. 1987. Beitrage zur Vegetationsgeschichte Tirols VI: Riesengebirge, Hohe Tatra — Zillertal, Kühtai. Ber. Nat. — med. Verein Innsbruck 74: 81–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jankovská V. 2001. Vegetation development in the western part of the Giant Mts during the Holocene (Pančavské rašeliniště mire — palaeoecological research). Opera Corcontica 38: 11–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jankovská V. 2004. Krkonoše v době poledové. Opera Corcontica 41: 111–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeník J. 1961. Alpinská vegetace Krkonoš, Králického Sněžníku a Hrubého Jeseníku: teorie anemo-orografických systémů. Nakl. ČSAV, Praha, 409 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeník J. & Hampel R. 1991. Die waldfreien Kammlagen des Altvatergebirges (Geschichte und Ökologie). MSSGV, Stuttgart, 128 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeník J. & Lokvenc T. 1962. Die alpine Waldgrenze im Krkonoše Gebirge. Rozpravy Českoslovemské Akademie věd, Seria Math. — natur. 72(1): 1–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Körner Ch. 1999. The alpine plantlife. Springer, Berlin, 338 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Křížek M. 2007. Periglacial landforms above alpine timberline in the High Sudetes, pp. 313–338. In: Goudie A.S. & Kalvoda J. Geomorphological variations. ProGrafiS Publ., Praha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ložek V. 2001. Malá Fatra a výkyvy horní hranice lesa. Ochrana přírody 56(2): 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang G. 1994. Quartäre Vegetationgeschichte Europas. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena, 371 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Obidowicz A. 1993. Wahania górnej granicy lasu w póznym plejstocenie i holocenie w Tatrach. Dokumenty Geograficzne 4–5: 31–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulsen J., Weber U.M. & Körner Ch. 2000. Tree growth near treeline: abrupt or gradual reduction with altitude? Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 32: 14–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rybníček K. & Rybníčková E. 2004. Pollen analyses of sediments from the summits of the Praděd range in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts (Eastern Sudetes). Preslia 76: 331–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekyra J., Kociánová M., Štursová H., Kalenská J., Dvořák I. & Svoboda M. 2002. Frost phenomena in relationship to mountain pine. Opera Corcontica 39: 69–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Speranza A., Van der Plicht J. & Van Geel B. 2000a. Improving the time control of the Subboreal/Subatlantic transition in a Czech peat sequence by 14C wiggle-matching. Quat. Sci. Rev. 19: 1589–1604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speranza A., Fanta J., Hanke J. & Van Geel B. 2000b. Vliv člověka na vývoj lesa na Černé hoře v Krkonoších v pozdním Holocénu. Archeologické rozhledy 52: 632–642.

    Google Scholar 

  • Svobodová H. 2002. Preliminary results of the vegetation history in the Giant Mountains (Úpská rašelina mire and Černohorská rašelina bog). Opera Corcontica 39: 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Svobodová H. 2004. Vývoj vegetace na Úpském rašeliništi v holocénu. Opera Corcontica 41(1): 124–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinner W. & Theurillat J.-P. 2003. Uppermost limit, extent, and fluctuations of the timberline and treeline ecotone in the Swiss central Alps during the past 11 500 years. Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 35: 158–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treml V. & Banaš M. 2000. Alpine timberline in the High Sudetes. Acta Universitatis Carolinae, Geographica 15(2): 83–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treml V. & Křížek M. 2006. Vliv borovice kleče (Pinus mugo) na strukturní půdy české části Vysokých Sudet. Opera Corcontica 43: 45–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treml V., Křížek M., Engel Z. & Petr L. 2006. Strukturní půdy Vysokých Sudet — morfologie a období vzniku. Geomorfologický sborník 5: 68–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilmking M., Juday G.P., Barber V.A. & Zald H.S. 2004. Recent climate warming forces contrasting growth responses of white spruce at treeline in Alaska through temperature thresholds. Glob. Change Biol. 10: 1274–1736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Václav Treml.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Treml, V., Jankovská, V. & Petr, L. Holocene dynamics of the alpine timberline in the High Sudetes. Biologia 63, 73–80 (2008). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-008-0021-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-008-0021-3

Key words

Navigation