Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?

Many abandoned villages in Central Europe are now covered with forest. These abandoned villages can be indicated by their different species composition compared to the surroundings. We were interested in whether these differences could be indicated by geobiocoenological plots (400 m2). Phytocoenolog...

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Main Authors: Ondráček Jiří, Štykar Jan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2023-03-01
Series:Ekológia (Bratislava)
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2023-0009
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author Ondráček Jiří
Štykar Jan
author_facet Ondráček Jiří
Štykar Jan
author_sort Ondráček Jiří
collection DOAJ
description Many abandoned villages in Central Europe are now covered with forest. These abandoned villages can be indicated by their different species composition compared to the surroundings. We were interested in whether these differences could be indicated by geobiocoenological plots (400 m2). Phytocoenological samples were taken from geobiocoenological plots located on the former buildings, in the village square and in gardens. Based on significant fidelity (Fisher’s exact test at P = 0.05 significance level) and differential species coverage (ONE WAY ANOVA at P = 0.05 significance level), indicator species for the former buildings and former village square could be determined. The former buildings were indicated by species requiring higher soil nutrient content and higher pH, such as Anemone ranunculoides and Stachys sylvatica. The former village square site was indicated by species adapted to acid soils with less competitive abilities that could not compete on the more fertile soils of the former buildings, e.g. Maianthemum bifolium and Dryopteris carthusiana. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the influence of forest plant communities by medieval settlement activities can be phytoindicated using geobiocoenological plots of 400 m2. This method can be applied especially in areas with acid soils, e.g. where there is a large difference in the amount of plant-available nutrients in the soil
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spelling doaj.art-c54cdba753bb4204a1808eeefc803eeb2023-05-29T10:56:11ZengSciendoEkológia (Bratislava)1337-947X2023-03-01421758010.2478/eko-2023-0009Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?Ondráček Jiří0Štykar Jan1Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendelu, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendelu, Brno, Czech RepublicMany abandoned villages in Central Europe are now covered with forest. These abandoned villages can be indicated by their different species composition compared to the surroundings. We were interested in whether these differences could be indicated by geobiocoenological plots (400 m2). Phytocoenological samples were taken from geobiocoenological plots located on the former buildings, in the village square and in gardens. Based on significant fidelity (Fisher’s exact test at P = 0.05 significance level) and differential species coverage (ONE WAY ANOVA at P = 0.05 significance level), indicator species for the former buildings and former village square could be determined. The former buildings were indicated by species requiring higher soil nutrient content and higher pH, such as Anemone ranunculoides and Stachys sylvatica. The former village square site was indicated by species adapted to acid soils with less competitive abilities that could not compete on the more fertile soils of the former buildings, e.g. Maianthemum bifolium and Dryopteris carthusiana. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the influence of forest plant communities by medieval settlement activities can be phytoindicated using geobiocoenological plots of 400 m2. This method can be applied especially in areas with acid soils, e.g. where there is a large difference in the amount of plant-available nutrients in the soilhttps://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2023-0009non-destructive archaeologyphytoindicationland use historyabandoned villagesforest plant species composition
spellingShingle Ondráček Jiří
Štykar Jan
Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
Ekológia (Bratislava)
non-destructive archaeology
phytoindication
land use history
abandoned villages
forest plant species composition
title Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
title_full Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
title_fullStr Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
title_full_unstemmed Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
title_short Is it Possible to Indicate the Influence of Medieval Settlement Activities on Forest Phytocoenoses by Using 400 m2 Geobiocoenological Plots?
title_sort is it possible to indicate the influence of medieval settlement activities on forest phytocoenoses by using 400 m2 geobiocoenological plots
topic non-destructive archaeology
phytoindication
land use history
abandoned villages
forest plant species composition
url https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2023-0009
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