Historische Waldnutzung und geomorphologische Folgewirkungen im Einzugsgebiet der Eisenproduktion des Steirischen Erzberges.
- Author(s)
- Stefan Premm, Christine Embleton-Hamann
- Abstract
The forests of the northern Styria region have been exploited since ca. 3,000 BC. Logs and charcoal were used as an energy source to produce salt, copper and iron. Since the early 8
th century AD a continuous ore-mining tradition has been documented for the Erzberg. In the middle of the 13
th century the iron production increased remarkably, causing an escalating charcoal demand that has continued to increase. Virgin woodland areas were logged primarily for charcoal production. The massive charcoal demand, which was covered by clear cutting of extensive forest areas, ceased abruptly in the late 19
th century, when fossil coal was used instead of charcoal. The first goal of the paper is to identify methodological approaches for the spatiotemporal reconstruction of hotspots of deforestation within the Erzberg region from historical documents. To focus on forest management practice and log transportation structures seems to be critical. In this way historic forest evaluations may allow local reconstruction of the state of the forest. A more regional picture can be gained from records of historical iron-ore production, the charcoal demand of iron manufacture and pollen analysis. Land-use practices in northern Styria had considerable effects on the vegetation cover, the hydrological cycle and geomorphic processes. Some of these effects were already tentatively addressed in the literature of the 19
th century. The second goal of the paper is to highlight the increased sediment mobilisation caused by two of the dominant historical land-use practices, namely slash and burn and extensive clear cutting. In the course of time they were interrupted by natural forest regeneration, another factor that needs to be taken into account. Finally a soil exposure is presented, showing how the increased sediment flux is documented in the associated accumulation areas at the mouth of tributaries or foothill areas.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Geography and Regional Research
- Journal
- Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Geographischen Gesellschaft
- Volume
- 156
- Pages
- 171-190
- No. of pages
- 20
- ISSN
- 0029-9138
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1553/moegg156s171
- Publication date
- 2014
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105904 Environmental research, 105404 Geomorphology
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development, Earth-Surface Processes
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d65131af-8de3-4db8-97c9-e35bc8d0c533