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

Gina E. Hannon, Karen Halsall, Chiara Molinari, Erin Stoll, Diana Lilley, Richard Bradshaw

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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 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.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)28-37
JournalThe Holocene
Volume31
Issue number1
Early online date2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021 Jan

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Physical Geography

Free keywords

  • charcoal
  • conservation
  • ecosystems
  • fire
  • forest diversity
  • management
  • plant macrofossils
  • pollen
  • river meadows

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