Palaeogeography of forest trees in the Czech Republic around 2 000 BP: Methodical approach and selected results.

Spatial variations in regional forest composition are analyzed for the period around 2 000 years before present in the territory of the Czech Republic. The results of pollen analyses at 16 different sites (original data and those published by other authors) form the basis of this study. The results are preliminary because of the small number of sites sampled. This article demonstrates the possibilities of the approach and is the first step to a wider application in the future. The conclusions indicate that pollen analysis is accurate enough in most cases for the reconstruction of past forest composition on a regional scale, and different deposits reflect spatial heterogeneity. Altitude, intensity of human impact, and soil type were the major factors affecting past distribution of forest trees. Oak and hornbeam woodlands, although widely affected by human activity, dominated the lowlands. Beech and silver fir were an important admixture in these communities. Although oak was present at higher altitudes, the occurrence of upland oak woodlands was limited more than indicated by recent geobotanical reconstructions. Instead, mixed forests existed at middle altitudes, often dominated by silver fir and beech. In less favourable habitats, spruce was common. Such upland forests extended high into the mountains, where because of the more severe climatic conditions beech and spruce started to dominate over silver fir.