Vegetation dynamics and Fire History in Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden

• Palaeoecological studies can identify past trends in vegetation communities and processes over long time scales. Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoalanalyses are used to reconstruct vegetation over the last 6400 years and provide information about former human impact and disturbance regimesin Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden. Three specific conservation planning topics were addressed: (1) the changing ratio of conifers tobroadleaved trees; (2) the origin and history of the river meadows and the biodiverse Populus tremula meadows; (3) the role of fire in the maintenanceof biological values. Early diverse mixed broadleaved forest assemblages with pine were followed by significant declines of the more thermophilic forestelements prior to the expansion of spruce in the Iron Age. The rise to dominance of spruce was a ‘natural’ process that has been exaggerated byanthropogenic disturbance to artificially high levels today. The initial river meadow communities were facilitated by fire and frequent flooding events, butsubsequent dynamics have more definitely been supported by human activities. Rural abandonment during the last 100 years has led to woody successions.Fire has been a continual disturbance factor with an influence on conservation issues such as Picea abies dominance and the maintenance of diverse, nonforestcommunities. Present occurrence of fire is unusually low, but natural fire frequencies are increasing in the region.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Naturgeografi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Physical Geography (hsv//eng)

Keyword

charcoal

conservation

ecosystems

fire

forest diversity

management

plant macrofossils

pollen

river meadows

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)