Timberline in the Carpathians: An overview

Abstract

In nature, division lines are delineated where multiple important environmental features change. These division lines may be singled out at the intersection of two geosystems (Balon 2000) where the functional uniformity of the geosystems located on both sides are preserved (Forman & Gordon 1986; Cadenasso et al. 2003). A significant environmental boundary is the upper forest boundary (timberline), which separates different vegetation zones: (1) forest from non-forest (Piękoś-Mirkowa & Mirek 1996); climatic zones (2) cool from very cool (Hess 1965); geoecological zones (3) periglacial from temperate forest system (Kotarba 1996). A timberline is a sensitive ecosystem therefore is a good indicator of changes occurring in the environment. There are, however, multiple elements which affect the timberline. This ecotone has also been widely analysed in local, regional, and even monographic studies of numerous massifs. It is necessary to present and organise the great amount of information in order to aid research on the timberline in the Carpathians. Key words boundaries in the mountain environment • timberline • CarpathiansThe notion of boundaries in the geographical environmentThe question of boundaries appears in every study involving a spatial dimension of research (German 2000). Based on their origin, three types of boundaries can be distinguished: natural, anthropogenic, and agreed (Armand 1980). In nature, the division lines may be singled out at the intersection of two geosystems, where multiple important environmental features change (Balon 2000). The functional uniformity of the geosystems located on both sides is then preserved (Forman & Gordon 1986; Cadenasso et al. 2003). Both biotic and abiotic as well as natural and anthropogenic factors affect the shape of the boundary. Natural boundaries are not usually sharp and have a transitional zone, called an ecotone. Elements from both areas occur in an ecotone, organisms from adjacent biocoenoses coexist, which leads to an increase in biodiversity ( Allen & Starr 1982; di Castri et al. 1988; Hansen & di Castri 1992). The bigger the difference between the adjacent environments, the narrower the ecotone zone. The features of an ecotone are determined by time, development, and function: permeability, durability, and flexibility (Hansen & di Castri 1992). Plants and animals achieving their environmental limit are exposed to tension and environmental stress. For that reason, an ecotone constitutes a good bioindicator of various changes occurring within the ecotone's range (Gosz & Sharpe 1989).A timberline is a good indicator of changes occurring in the environment. There are, however, multiple elements which affect a timberline. This ecotone has also been widely analysed in local, regional, and even monographic studies of numerous massifs. It was necessary to present and organise below, the great amount of available information for the purpose of researching the timberline in the Carpathians. The notion of timberlineSeveral boundaries can be distingu...

Climatic determinants of the Carpathian treeline and its projected upward shifts in response to climate change

“…Treeline is a signi cant bioclimatic boundary for thermal life zones and aligns with the broader thermal constraints for temperate zone agriculture (Körner and Paulsen 2004) (Quervain 1904) and also in the Carpathians, where it manifests as an overall treeline elevation increase from west to east and from the peripheries to the cores of certain massifs (Malinovsky 1980;Czajka et al 2015b).…”

“…Trees disappear above a speci c elevation, giving way to communities commonly called alpine meadows or alpine tundra, which have substantially lower aboveground biomass (Holtmeier 2009;Hansson et al 2023). The line where trees disappear, the treeline, connects the highest patches of closed forest (Paulsen et al 2000;Körner 2004; Czajka et al 2015b). Treelines constitute a transition belt (ecotone) between the closed continuous forest below and the treeless alpine zone above (Wieser and Tausz 2007; Holtmeier 2009).…”

Erdő- és fahatár változás a Déli-Kárpátokban a késő glaciális és kora holocén gyors felmelegedési hullámai idején: korai erdőexpanzió és a fiatal driász lehűlés csillapított hatása

“…Ez egy gyakran frag mentált, ligetes megjelenésű, átmeneti zóna (FEURDEAN et al 2016), amely elválasztja a szubalpi zárt erdőket a fátlan, al pi vegetációövtől (LOTTER et al 2006). Bizonyított, hogy a felmelegedés hatására az emelkedő hőmérséklettel a fahatár fel felé tolódik (FIELD & BARROS 2014, GREENWOOD & JUMP 2014, amely változás egyben a fahatár ökotont is érinti, ami faj összetételbeli és biodiverzitás-változást is eredményez het (GRACE et al 2002, LLOYD & FASTIE 2003, DULLINGER et al 2004, HARSCH et al 2009, CZAJKA et al 2015. A fahatár felett, a 2 méternél alacsonyabb (sokszor deformált) fák és törpe cserjék az úgynevezett krummholz-zónát alkotják, amelynek felső határát a fafajok abszolút előfordulása hatá roz za meg (HOLTMEIER 1981(HOLTMEIER , 2009TINNER & THEURILLAT 2003).…”

“…A késő glaciálisban és a holocénben a fa-és erdőhatár vál tozását számos hegységben vizsgálták és rekonstruálták paleoökológiai módszerekkel (OBIDOWICZ 1996;KULLMAN 2002KULLMAN , 2007TINNER & THEURILLAT 2003; TONKOV & MA RI - NO VA 2005;DI PASQUALE et al 2008;MAGYARI et al 2012;TINNER 2013;SCHWÖRER et al 2014;CZAJKA et al 2015). A ko ra és középső holocénre vonatkozó vizsgálatok eredményei azt tükrözik, hogy a fa-és erdőhatár változásai általában a fő éghajlati tendenciákat követik (FEURDEAN et al 2016, VINCZE et al 2017.…”

Carpathian Forests: Past and Recent Developments

“…In the Holocene, deglaciation was followed by substantial forest expansion in the Carpathians. Increasing temperatures (up to +10 • C at higher elevations) led to an upward shift of the treeline, with the glacial refugees Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and larch (Larix decidua) reaching more than 2000 m (present limit: 1200 to 1900 m [40,41]) in the Early Holocene (11,500-8000 years ago [42][43][44][45]). In the foothills, the warming enabled the spread of mixed oak stands [46].…”