Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

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

Hannon, Gina E. ; Halsall, Karen ; Molinari, Chiara LU orcid ; Stoll, Erin ; Lilley, Diana and Bradshaw, Richard LU (2021) In The Holocene 31(1). p.28-37
Abstract
Palaeoecological studies can identify past trends in vegetation communities and processes over long time scales. Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoal
analyses are used to reconstruct vegetation over the last 6400 years and provide information about former human impact and disturbance regimes
in Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden. Three specific conservation planning topics were addressed: (1) the changing ratio of conifers to
broadleaved trees; (2) the origin and history of the river meadows and the biodiverse Populus tremula meadows; (3) the role of fire in the maintenance
of biological values. Early diverse mixed broadleaved forest assemblages with pine were followed by significant declines of the more... (More)
Palaeoecological studies can identify past trends in vegetation communities and processes over long time scales. Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoal
analyses are used to reconstruct vegetation over the last 6400 years and provide information about former human impact and disturbance regimes
in Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden. Three specific conservation planning topics were addressed: (1) the changing ratio of conifers to
broadleaved trees; (2) the origin and history of the river meadows and the biodiverse Populus tremula meadows; (3) the role of fire in the maintenance
of biological values. Early diverse mixed broadleaved forest assemblages with pine were followed by significant declines of the more thermophilic forest
elements prior to the expansion of spruce in the Iron Age. The rise to dominance of spruce was a ‘natural’ process that has been exaggerated by
anthropogenic disturbance to artificially high levels today. The initial river meadow communities were facilitated by fire and frequent flooding events, but
subsequent 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, nonforest
communities. Present occurrence of fire is unusually low, but natural fire frequencies are increasing in the region. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
charcoal, conservation, ecosystems, fire, forest diversity, management, plant macrofossils, pollen, river meadows
in
The Holocene
volume
31
issue
1
pages
28 - 37
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85092309496
ISSN
0959-6836
DOI
10.1177/0959683620961513
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
05bcffd2-2a92-42f2-b4e4-ac6eea19067f
date added to LUP
2020-10-22 18:28:11
date last changed
2023-02-21 11:36:44
@article{05bcffd2-2a92-42f2-b4e4-ac6eea19067f,
  abstract     = {{Palaeoecological studies can identify past trends in vegetation communities and processes over long time scales. Pollen, plant macrofossils and charcoal<br/>analyses are used to reconstruct vegetation over the last 6400 years and provide information about former human impact and disturbance regimes<br/>in Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden. Three specific conservation planning topics were addressed: (1) the changing ratio of conifers to<br/>broadleaved trees; (2) the origin and history of the river meadows and the biodiverse Populus tremula meadows; (3) the role of fire in the maintenance<br/>of biological values. Early diverse mixed broadleaved forest assemblages with pine were followed by significant declines of the more thermophilic forest<br/>elements prior to the expansion of spruce in the Iron Age. The rise to dominance of spruce was a ‘natural’ process that has been exaggerated by<br/>anthropogenic disturbance to artificially high levels today. The initial river meadow communities were facilitated by fire and frequent flooding events, but<br/>subsequent dynamics have more definitely been supported by human activities. Rural abandonment during the last 100 years has led to woody successions.<br/>Fire has been a continual disturbance factor with an influence on conservation issues such as Picea abies dominance and the maintenance of diverse, nonforest<br/>communities. Present occurrence of fire is unusually low, but natural fire frequencies are increasing in the region.}},
  author       = {{Hannon, Gina E. and Halsall, Karen and Molinari, Chiara and Stoll, Erin and Lilley, Diana and Bradshaw, Richard}},
  issn         = {{0959-6836}},
  keywords     = {{charcoal; conservation; ecosystems; fire; forest diversity; management; plant macrofossils; pollen; river meadows}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{28--37}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{The Holocene}},
  title        = {{Vegetation dynamics and Fire History in Färnebofjärden National Park, Central Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0959683620961513}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0959683620961513}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}