Biogenic imprint on hillslopes in the Sudety Mts. — origin and consequences of the tree uprooting process

• Autorzy: Pawlik Ł.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.1515/sgcb-2015-0002

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The main subject of this article is the tree uprooting process and its effects on forested hillslopes in the Sudety Mts. The research has been carried out between 2010 and 2012 in the Karkonosze National Park (KNP), Stołowe Mountains National Park (SMNP) and Suche Mts. The methods included: detailed geomorphological mapping and measurements of root plates of recently fallen trees and relict treethrow mounds and pits (called pit-and-mound microtopography), their qualitative description and measurements of diameter at breast height (dbh) of uprooted tree trunks. The mean root plate volume was 0.3–1.4 m3 in the KNP, 2.4–4.0 m3 in the Suche Mts. and 0.6 m3 in the SMNP. The mean treethrow mound volume was almost equal in the two selected study sites, ca. 1.6 m3, the SMNP and Suche Mts. The research revealed a mosaic of forms that can be directly attributed to tree uprooting: created after deposition of root plates (various accumulation forms below them) or following their subsequent degradation e .g. gravel armours on rain washed treethrow mound surfaces, rock fragment veneers consisting of coarse fragments of regolith and bedrock. In the latter case, because tree root systems frequently penetrated regolith and fractured bedrock they were able to uplift (‘mine’) larger clasts during tree uprooting. The mean longest edge of such rock fragments was 16 cm in the Suche Mts., 26 cm in the SMNP and 33–56 cm in the KNP. It has been shown that tree uprooting can contribute to the evolution of regolith and soils and it is an important factor of their disturbances. This reflects results from other sites in the World. However, in the Sudety Mts. the significance of tree uprooting has been validated only locally and it is suggested that its importance decreases proportionally to the area under consideration. Here, biogenic transport is limited to treethrow pits on gentle hillslopes but can be much more effective at steeper sites.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

tree uprooting; pit-and-mound microrelief; biomechanical weathering; biogeomorphological mapping; Sudety

• Wydawca: Polska Akademia Umiejętności
• Czasopismo: Studia Geomorphologica Carpatho-Balcanica
• Rocznik: 2014
• Tom: Vol. 48
• Strony: 17--34
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 52 poz., rys., tab., wykr., fot.

Twórcy

autor

Pawlik Ł.

• Institute of Geography, Pedagogical University of Cracow; ul. Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, Poland

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