Journal Article

Lesy v českých Krkonoších a lidé kolem nich

Fanta, Josef

2017

Overview

Forests in the Czech Krkonoše Mts have a long history wherein people played a very important role. The first traces of human presence in the mountains date from the 7th century. At that time, Slavic colonists settled in the valleys at the foot of the mountains, discovered and mined iron ore on the high southern slope of Černá hora Mt. The second half of the 16th century was a very important period. Within several decades, all accessible forests of the central and eastern parts of the range had been cleared, the wood brought to streams and floated along the Labe River to Central Bohemia, to be used in the silver mines in Kutná Hora. The woodcutters of that time were German speaking colonists from the Austrian Alps. It was them who invented and used the German name for the mountains - „das Riesengebirge\" (not „Giant Mts.\", but „Skidding Mts.\" - the term derived from the skidding of wood blocks on sledges to water reservoirs to be floated further). It was also them who created the very specific landscape settlement structure of the area after the finishing of forest clearings. To survive, they practised the so called „Baudenwirtschaft\", a very extensive agriculture practice on cleared slopes, while less accessible areas were left to nature and forest development. Organized forestry introduced in the 18th and 19th centuries profited from the cold climate of the slowly ending Little Ice Age. This period was favourable for Norway spruce, which dominated the Krkonoše Mts forests until recently. The Krkonoše Mts National Park was established in 1963, to protect the extraordinary rich nature of the highest Czech mountains. But within the first 30 years of its existence, the National Park was confronted with a really fatal experience of excessive acid deposition. 8.000 ha (25 %) of its forests died completely, while the rest was damaged. Due to this, the National Park was put on the list of the ten most endangered national parks of the world! The essential help came from abroad. The Dutch Foundation FACE (Forests Absorbing Carbon dioxyde Emissions) offered a large amount of money to restore the forests in the National Park. Scientists from the University of Amsterdam and Wageningen University designed a restoration strategy based on a wellconsidered combination of natural regeneration processes and active forest management.Within ten years, National Park Krkonoše could be removed from the list of endangered national parks. Today's appeal for forest protection and management is due to climate change. It is a serious invitation to local foresters to do their best in the ongoing restoration of the mountain forests, to change their species compositioin , structure and biological diversity, and to strengthen their natural status. Scientific research on natural processes and forest development will play a role in this matter. A well considered research program is desirable and advisable to master this appeal. The future of the Krkonoše Mts forests is in the hands of their foresters of today.

• Publisher: Správa KRNAP
• Subject: Accessibility / Acid deposition / Agricultural practices / Biodiversity / Clearings (openings) / Climate change / European history / Fatalities / Forest management / Forest protection / Forestry / Forests / Glaciation / Iron ores / Landscape / Mountain forests / Mountains / National parks / Pine trees / Pollutant deposition / Reforestation / Regeneration / Restoration strategies / Rivers / Skidding / Species diversity / Streams / Wood