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Holocene fire history of forest vegetation in central Europe based on soil and sedimentary charcoal
Bobek, Přemysl ; Kuneš, Petr (advisor) ; Feurdean, Angelica (referee) ; Chytrý, Milan (referee)
Fire is a fundamental environmental factor that directly shapes many terrestrial ecosystems on Earth. The present thesis attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the fire dynamics in Central Europe over the course of the last 12,000 years. Based on extensive analyses of charcoal particles deposited in terrestrial and lacustrine sedimentary sequences and carbonized plant tissues deposited in soils, I was able to track past fire dynamics across a range of spatial scales - from the forest stand scale to the landscape scale. First, we described relationships between drivers of recent fire occurrence and proposed linkages to the spatial pattern of Late-Holocene biomass burning. We found factors related to relief characteristics, such as increased thermal flux or terrain roughness, to be important determinants of fire occurrence within the present-day landscape. Contrary to all expectations, anthropogenic drivers seem to have a weak influence at present. Because relief-based factors have been stable throughout the Holocene, it seems probable that habitats of certain types are more predisposed to increased burning. We hypothesized that recurrent fire disturbances may contribute to the long-term maintenance of Pinus sylvestris-dominated forests, which withstood the competitive pressure of broadleaf...
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