Changes in land use of the Krkonoše Mts. and the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. alpine treeless: a summary of the current state of knowledge and a comparison of historical development

Abstract

Alpine treeless is a unique phenomenon in Czechia occupying the largest area in the Krkonoše Mts. and the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. Since the time of colonization, the landscape of the alpine treeless in both mountain ranges has experienced a turbulent development that has been variable in space and time. The aim of the article is to compare the development of land use of the alpine treeless in the Krkonoše Mts. and the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. and the driving forces that caused the changes there, through a literature search. The results show a lack of studies focused on the development of land use in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. The biggest differences in the land use of both mountain ranges started in the seventeenth century, when the phenomenon of so called “huts farming” came to the Krkonoše Mts. as the main driving force. This phenomenon prevailed in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. much later and only very sporadically and locally. Other driving forces of landscape change are mining, deforestation, afforestation, and tourism.