Late-Holocene human-induced changes to the extent of alpine areas in the East Sudetes, Central Europe
2010
Abstract
The easternmost parts of the Hercynian mid-mountains of Central Europe, namely Hruby Jesenik and Kralicky Sneznik, are characterised by extensive alpine areas at altitudes above approximately 1300 m a.s.l. In order to determine the contribution of human activities to the extent of these summit grasslands we analysed charcoal assemblages and pollen profiles taken from high elevation sites.
The first burn was dated to the Iron Age (about the first to second centuries BC), with successive fire events recorded in the early Mediaeval epoch from about AD 670.