Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia
The information about location and size of past human settlements can give new insights into the analysis of landscape structures. Vodlozero National Park (NP) is one the largest strictly protected areas in Northwestern Europe. We mapped the location of historic villages, which were abandoned in 195...
Published in: | Silva Fennica |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Finnish Society of Forest Science
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1207 https://doaj.org/article/f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a 2023-05-15T17:46:06+02:00 Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia Tikkanen, Olli-Pekka Chernyakova, Irina 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1207 https://doaj.org/article/f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a EN eng Finnish Society of Forest Science https://www.silvafennica.fi/article/1207 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-4075 2242-4075 doi:10.14214/sf.1207 https://doaj.org/article/f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a Silva Fennica, Vol 48, Iss 4 (2014) Forestry SD1-669.5 article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1207 2022-12-31T00:34:50Z The information about location and size of past human settlements can give new insights into the analysis of landscape structures. Vodlozero National Park (NP) is one the largest strictly protected areas in Northwestern Europe. We mapped the location of historic villages, which were abandoned in 1958, and studied the effect of past human activity in the forest landscape in two different scales using forest survey data. We assessed the possible change in age, volume and tree species composition from the edge of open fields up to the distance of 5 km from villages. We made a larger landscape analysis using a grid of forest stands covering the whole northern part of the NP. The past human activity was clearly visible in the present forest landscape. Distance from villages affected age, volume and tree species composition of the forest stands. This effect was the strongest within the first two kilometers from the villages. At the level of whole northern NP, the proportion of spruce markedly increased after approximately 15 km from the nearest old village. The changes in the forests surrounding the villages were most likely the result of the intensive use of wood for different commodities needed in households and farming, in addition to short rotation slash and burn agriculture. If the occurrence of forest fires was more frequent closer to villages than in more remote areas, it can well explain the observed pattern in the abundance of spruce in the larger landscape that is less tolerant to fire than pine. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Russia Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Silva Fennica 48 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Forestry SD1-669.5 |
spellingShingle |
Forestry SD1-669.5 Tikkanen, Olli-Pekka Chernyakova, Irina Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
topic_facet |
Forestry SD1-669.5 |
description |
The information about location and size of past human settlements can give new insights into the analysis of landscape structures. Vodlozero National Park (NP) is one the largest strictly protected areas in Northwestern Europe. We mapped the location of historic villages, which were abandoned in 1958, and studied the effect of past human activity in the forest landscape in two different scales using forest survey data. We assessed the possible change in age, volume and tree species composition from the edge of open fields up to the distance of 5 km from villages. We made a larger landscape analysis using a grid of forest stands covering the whole northern part of the NP. The past human activity was clearly visible in the present forest landscape. Distance from villages affected age, volume and tree species composition of the forest stands. This effect was the strongest within the first two kilometers from the villages. At the level of whole northern NP, the proportion of spruce markedly increased after approximately 15 km from the nearest old village. The changes in the forests surrounding the villages were most likely the result of the intensive use of wood for different commodities needed in households and farming, in addition to short rotation slash and burn agriculture. If the occurrence of forest fires was more frequent closer to villages than in more remote areas, it can well explain the observed pattern in the abundance of spruce in the larger landscape that is less tolerant to fire than pine. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tikkanen, Olli-Pekka Chernyakova, Irina |
author_facet |
Tikkanen, Olli-Pekka Chernyakova, Irina |
author_sort |
Tikkanen, Olli-Pekka |
title |
Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
title_short |
Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
title_full |
Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
title_fullStr |
Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of Vodlozero National Park, Northwest Russia |
title_sort |
past human population history affects current forest landscape structure of vodlozero national park, northwest russia |
publisher |
Finnish Society of Forest Science |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1207 https://doaj.org/article/f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a |
genre |
Northwest Russia |
genre_facet |
Northwest Russia |
op_source |
Silva Fennica, Vol 48, Iss 4 (2014) |
op_relation |
https://www.silvafennica.fi/article/1207 https://doaj.org/toc/2242-4075 2242-4075 doi:10.14214/sf.1207 https://doaj.org/article/f98db291e4b14158a7fc47e8eb90485a |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1207 |
container_title |
Silva Fennica |
container_volume |
48 |
container_issue |
4 |
_version_ |
1766149455247048704 |