Effect of human impact on vegetation development in Orlické hory

The development of contemporary mountain landscapes in Central Europe is closely linked to human activity. Human activities have influenced the structure and composition of forest ecosystems, contributing to landscape openness and the spread of new species. The aim of this paleoecological study is to examine the vegetation development of the Orlické Mountains (Orlické hory Mts.) during the Late Holocene in detail and to compare it with the adjacent lowland region of Podorlicko, particularly since the Middle Ages, when human impact on mountain vegetation intensified significantly. Two sedimentary profiles were analyzed using pollen analysis, non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) identification, micro- and macrocharcoal quantification, and radiocarbon dating. The first profile was retrieved from the Pod Pětirozcestím peat bog in the Orlické Mountains (Zdobnice municipality), and the second from a lowland fen-a terrestrialised meander of the Orlice River (Albrechtice nad Orlicí municipality). The Zdobnice profile dates back to 5815 cal BP, while the Albrechtice profile covers approximately the last 1217 cal BP. The results reveal contrasting dynamics between the two sites. While the lowland Podorlicko represents a stable cultural landscape, the Orlické Mountains underwent a sudden transformation in the High...