Land Use Changes in the Alpine Tree Line Ecotone in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains (Czech Republic)

Abstract

Currently, we expected a altitudinal shift of forest vegetation upward under predicted climate changes impacts to European mountains ecosystems. In this context can be very interesting, that changes in alpine tree line ecotone in high European mountains were induced by human activities relatively often also in history. Probably one of the most important driver in land-use changes in high mountains was grazing, which significantly have influenced both mountain spruce forests and open alpine grasslands in central-Europe. This paper deals with historical changes of land-use in Hruby Jesenik Mountains (Czech Republic) during 19th and 20th centuries. Results revealed consequences of former grazing in mountain grasslands above alpine tree line ecotone in the frame of land-use analyses based on historical maps and other sources. These results, based on historical data, support our better understanding to current dynamic changes in European mountain landscapes.

Keywords

• alpine tree line ecotone
• importance of grazing
• historical land-use changes
• mountain forests