Spatial and temporal controls on hydro-geomorphic processes in the French Prealps

Abstract

in the late 20 th century. However, as a "snapshot" of the then current vegetation, it can be criticized for lacking a sufficiently long-term perspective. Paleodata from South Wales and Northern England show the former presence of plant species regionally extinct as a result of human activity, including Sphagnum austinii (syn. S. imbricatum ssp. austinii) (McClymont et al., 2008(McClymont et al., , 2009, which was also a major peat former in raised bogs in England and Wales for thousands of years in the midlate Holocene (Hughes et al., 2007(Hughes et al., , 2008. Regional paleodata therefore imply that inter-regional translocation of key bog species could be justified as part of future habitat restoration. Moreover, paleoecological data of former plant communities show a wider range of possible restoration targets for Molinietum than is implied by the NVC, and so broaden the range of possible replacements. They also question the longevity of some Callunetum: its endurance in some parts of England and Wales has been shorter than generally thought ( Fig. 2B; see also Chambers et al., 2007b).Davies and Bunting (2010) argue there is an urgent need to "bridge the gap" between ecology and paleoecology. The latter has fundamental implications for the future practice of conservation and habitat management: regional paleoecological data question vegetation endurance, reveal regional declines, extinctions and their causes, and can help identify a range of viable restoration targets.