Since 2006, Ecological research in the Bohemian Forest (Šumava Mts.) was carried out within several projects: BiodivKrŠu - Management of Biodiversity in the Krkonoše Mts. and Šumava Mts.; Limiting factors and limitations of biological recovery from acidification: What is the future of the Šumava mountain ecosystems?; Protected areas - social deal on nature protection. These projects followed the previously solved tasks. Key findings are summarized in this presentation.
Works carried out simultaneously in different tasks so that biological diversity and its influence at three different levels - from landscapes and ecosystems to different populations of some species - were described. At the highest level, the influence of landscape history (or historical land-use) was highlighted for understanding of the current landscape structure and processes. For this purpose, the stable cadastre maps prepared in the early 19th century have been repeatedly used. The importance of line elements with stands of trees (balks) was demonstrated within the contemporary landscape. These elements serve as ecotones in the landscape. Therefore, they are very important to increase landscape diversity.
The climate is a central element controlling the distribution of various ecosystems in the landscape and the set of various ecosystem processes. For this reason, it was given considerable attention to analyze and modelling of climate. This was particularly the description of the dynamics of climate since the 80th of the 20th century at selected stations - Churáňov (Bohemian Forest) and Labská bouda (Giant Mountains). Two periods with different climatic characteristics were distinguished: 1983-1994 and 1995-2010. Spatial variability of climate in the Czech Republic has been described on the basis of the most significant gradients - along longitude, latitude and altitude. Based on the average temperature differences from the global climate model, specific regions with different climate characteristics have been described. Global climate model together with data relevés from forests of Šumava and digital terrain model were used to create geographic climate model for the Bohemian Forest. This model is extensible to other regions of Central Europe.
The elevation gradient is associated with a sequence of forest altitudinal zones (FAZ). Such a gradient has been described on the eastern slope of the Plechý Mt., where various communities (vegetation, soil mites, macromycetes and epigeic beetles) and soils were studied. Since FAZ's are poorly mapped in the Šumava region, a mathematical model of FAZ's was developed using the geographic climate model and description of the Plechý altitudinal gradient. The model was verified in other parts of the Bohemian Forest. The global climate model also became the basis for the modelling of natural abundance of tree species in the forests of the Bohemian Forest.
The dynamics of forest ecosystems was observed in the perspective of a sudden disturbance of the current tree stand of forests, which was caused by the bark beetle (Ips typographus) gradation. It was pointed out, that dynamics of the mixed forests and spruce climax ecosystems is distinct. For mixed forests, the intensity of solar radiation in the lower layer of the ecosystem is the control element of ecosystem dynamics. This intensity changes dramatically in the course of development of the ecosystem. Analogous effect of the light intensity variation in the climax spruce forests is minimal. These spruce communities are very stable, although there could be the tree layer disturbed. The occurrence of climate extremes (e.g. years 2003, 1994) has a major influence in the dynamics of the spruce bark beetle. Such extremes are an initiating factor in the gradation, which culminates the next 2-4 years. According to these findings, it is necessary to modify the management of forests in protected areas.
In the secondary forest-free areas in the Bohemian Forest, succession of tree species has been described. There are at least four basic types of successional communities with trees. These types can be classified into two succession models. The time-window model is typical for species that enter into the original communities in some short period (in the time-point) following a sudden disturbance or during succession on bare soil (abandoned fields): Alnus incana and A. glutinosa (floods), Betula pendula and Salix caprea (abandoned fields). The gap-window model is characterized by the entry of individual trees or small tree-groups into the original ecosystem within the small gaps disturbed over a long period. This process results in a differentiated stand according to both space and age structure. Typical tree species are Picea abies (abandoned pasture) and Acer pseudoplatanus (balks).
The nature conservation needs to be based on fundamental ecological knowledge. Access to nature conservation should not be influenced by immediate political order, because in that case, the irreplaceable damage would be caused in natural heritage. This heritage is not owned by contemporaries, but it belongs to future generations.
Presentation (in Czech)
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This is a presentation to the seminar, which took place in the České Budějovice on March 28th, 2012. The seminar was co-organized by Biological Center, Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice.