Spatial and climatic characterization of three glacial stages in the Upper Krnica Valley, SE European Alps

The southeastern European Alps represent the spot where mean annual precipitation is at its highest in the entire Alpine chain. Accordingly, the glacial evolution here might have a different spatial and chronological pattern if compared with other alpine areas. This paper discusses geomorphological evidence of three glacial stages from the Krnica Valley in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and is the first step towards a comprehensive palaeoglaciological studies in this alpine sector. Very well-preserved glacial landforms in the Upper Krnica Valley allowed the reconstruction of glacier surface topographies and corresponding equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) by means of field-based geomorphological and sedimentological data and by using geospatial analysis. The uppermost frontal moraines belong to the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the corresponding ELA is estimated at 1973 m a.s.l. Other two stages with the ELA depressed by 50 m and 161 m compared to the LIA ELA, suggest early Holocene and Younger Dryas ages of the palaeoglaciers, respectively. This assumption ensues from absolute age datings and related ELA depressions observed elsewhere in the European Alps. The presence of buried ice under the debris in the Krnica cirque, imaged through geophysical investigations, point to peculiar microclimatic conditions able to preserve relict glacier ice. This is favoured by the recursive presence of snow on the ground caused by the extreme summer shading and the significant winter snow-recharge triggered by snowblow and avalanche feeding. The possible evolution of such relict ice under the ongoing climate warming is also discussed

Traces of glaciation in the Krnica Valley

Dolina Krnica predstavlja eno izmed stranskih ledeniško preoblikovanih dolin Zgornjesavske doline. Namen raziskave je bil proučiti sledove poledenitve v omenjeni dolini. Na celotnem proučevanem območju med Kriško steno in planino v Klinu je bilo identificiranih pet območij morenskih nasipov, ki so kljub intenzivnim erozijskim in akumulacijskim geomorfnim procesom predvsem v zgornjem delu doline odlično ohranjeni. Za mlajše tri poledenitvene stadije na območju med Kriško steno ter kočo v Krnici je bila izdelana rekonstrukcija površine in obsega paleoledenikov ter pripadajočih ravnovesnih mej. Na območju med najmlajšim morenskim nasipom ter Kriško steno sta bila leta 2015 z georadarjem posneta dva profila, cilj katerih je bil preveriti morebitni obstoj reliktnega ledu pod plastjo ledeniškega firna in grušča. Za območje doline Krnice so bile ocenjene ravnovesne meje paleoledenikov na precej nižjih nadmorskih višinah v primerjavi z drugimi podobnimi območji v bližnji okolici. Za prvi poledenitveni stadij, ki najverjetneje pripada obdobju male ledene dobe, je ravnovesna meja ocenjena na 2010 m nadmorske višine, kar je 426 m nižje od ravnovesne meje Triglavskega ledenika za isto obdobje, oddaljenega 4,5 km zračne razdalje. Drugi in tretji poledenitveni stadij na območju doline Krnica najverjetneje pripadata obdobjema zgodnjega holocena in mlajšega dryasa, njuni ravnovesni meji pa sta bili ocenjeni na 1954 m in 1727 m nad morjem. Morenski nasipi, ki ležijo severno od koče v Krnici, najverjetneje pripadajo poznejšim pleistocenskim hladnejšim obdobjem, t.j. višku zadnje poledenitve (LGM – Last Glacial Maksimum) z viškom pred 21.000 leti.The Krnica Valley represents one of the side glacial valleys of the Upper Sava Valley. The purpose of this research was to investigate the traces of glaciation in the valley. In the whole studied area between the Kriška wall and the mountain in the Klin area, five areas of the moraine ridges were identified, which, despite intense erosion and acummulation of geomorphic processes, are especially well preserved in the upper part of the Krnica Valley. For the younger three glacial stages in the area between the Kriška wall and the Krnica mountain hut, a reconstruction of the surface and the extent of paleo-glaciers with their associated equilibrium line altitudes was made. In the area between the youngest moraine ridge and the Kriška wall, two profiles were taken in 2015 with a georadar, the aim of which was to verify the possible existence of relict ice under the layer of firn and gravel. For the Krnica Valley area, equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) were estimated at much lower altitudes compared to the other similar areas in the vicinity. For the first glacial stage, which most probably belongs to the period of the Little Ice Age, the ELA is estimated at 2010 m above sea level, which is 426 m lower than the ELA of the Triglav Glacier for the same period, 4.5 km away. The second and third glacial stages in the Krnica Valley probably belong to the Early Holocene and Younger Dryas periods, respectively, and their equilibrium line altitudes were estimated at 1954 m and 1727 m above sea level, respectively. The moraine ridges, lying to the north of the Krnica mountain hut, probably date to the later Pleistocene cooler periods, i.e. Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with a peak of 21,000 years ago

Morfogeneza slepe doline Brdanska dana

Slepa dolina Brdanska dana se nahaja na južnem robu Brkinov, kjer se ti stikajo s kraškim ravnikom Matarskega podolja. Na preučevanem območju se prepletajo značilnosti fluvialnega ter kraškega geomorfnega sistema, kar se kaže v veliki pestrosti reliefnih oblik in procesov. V okviru te raziskave je bila opravljena geomorfološka analiza preučevanega območja. Na podlagi morfografskih, morfometričnih in granulometričnih podatkov smo preučili glavne geomorfološke značilnosti, funkcijo in razvoj te slepe doline

Assessing the heterogeneity and conservation status of the Natura 2000 priority forest habitat type Tilio–Acerion (9180*) based on field mapping

Priority habitat types (HTs) within the Natura 2000 network are of the highest importance for conservation in Europe. However, they often occur in smaller areas and their conservation status is not well understood. One such HT is that of the Tilio–Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines (9180*). The Natura 2000 study site, Boč–Haloze–Donačka gora, in the Sub-Pannonian region of eastern Slovenia is characterized by a matrix of European beech forests and includes rather small, fragmented areas covered by Tilio–Acerion forests. The goal of this research was to examine the heterogeneity and conservation status of the selected HT through field mapping, which was performed in the summer of 2020. As the conservation of HT calls for a more detailed approach, we distinguished between the following four pre-defined habitat subtypes: (i) Acer pseudoplatanus-Ulmus glabra stands growing mostly in concave terrain, (ii) Fraxinus excelsior stands growing on slopes, (iii) Tilia sp. stands with thermophilous broadleaves occurring on ridges and slopes, (iv) Acer pseudoplatanus stands occurring on more acidic soils with an admixture of Castanea sativa. Field mapping information was complemented with the assessment of habitat subtype characteristics using remote sensing data. The results showed that habitat subtypes differed significantly in terms of area, tree species composition, forest stand characteristics, relief features and the various threats they experienced (e.g., fragmentation, tree mortality, ungulate browsing pressure). The differences between subtypes were also evident for LiDAR-derived environmental factors related to topography (i.e., terrain steepness and Topographic Position Index). This study provides a baseline for setting more realistic objectives for the conservation management of priority forest HTs. Due to the specificities of each individual habitat subtype, conservation activities should be targeted to the Natura 2000 habitat subtype level

Horizontal Precipitation Gradients in Alpine Valleys of Northwestern Slovenia

Mountain landscapes are the areas characteristic for a great spatial variability of precipitation amounts. On the windward sides of orographic barriers there is intense rising of air, and on the lee sides air descends. The intensity of the two processes is manifested in great differences in precipitation amounts at short distances. Although the network of precipitation stations is the densest in the Alps of all mountain regions in the world, precipitation regime at the micro level continues to be poorly known at many a place. Precipitation stations in mountainous landscapes are the most numerous in lower-lying and settled areas, whereas they are rather few in the high-lying areas. Also the accuracy of measurements is problematic in the mountains. As a result, the information on precipitation regime is inadequate right in the areas with the largest precipitation amounts. This means that the estimation of water balance is inadequate, and it is difficult to forecast the precipitation-related processes, such as torrential floods, landslides, avalanches, and the like. The present paper deals with horizontal precipitation gradients in the Alpine valleys of Planica, Krnica and the stream Beli potok which are all situated in the north-western part of the Slovenian section of the Julian Alps

Ecosystem services of urban forests for a reserve water source

Gozdovi s svojimi ekosistemskimi storitvami pomembno prispevajo k varovanju vodnih virov, posebno v urbanih okoljih. V članku predstavljamo metodologijo za oceno ekosistemskih storitev urbanih gozdov za varovanje rezervnega vodnega vira, pri čemer je to prva tovrstna neekonomska ocena. Da bi lahko primerjali ekosistemske storitve gozdov za varovanje vodnih virov z drugimi rabami tal, smo za vodozbirno zaledje rezervnega vodnega vira izbrali kazalnike za ohranjanje kakovosti voda, uravnavanje količine voda in zmanjševanje onesnaženosti zraka za urbane gozdove in druge rabe tal v študijskem območju. Za vsak kazalnik smo izračunali relativni prispevek posamezne rabe tal k ekosistemski storitvi varovanja vodnih virov, in sicer za (1) kmetijska zemljišča, (2) travniki in opuščena kmetijska zemljišča, (3) urbani gozd, (4) mokrišča, močvirja in poplavne ravnice ter (5) pozidano zemljišče. Ugotovili smo, da urbani gozdovi v znatno večji meri prispevajo k ekosistemski storitvi varovanja vodnih virov kot druge rabe tal. Največji prispevek urbanih gozdov je bil ugotovljen pri ohranjanju kakovosti voda ter zmanjševanju onesnaženosti zraka, kjer so kazalniki znatno višji kot za travnike ali kmetijska zemljišča. Prav tako je bil ugotovljen velik prispevek urbanih gozdov k uravnavanju količine voda, ki pa je bil višji za mokrišča, močvirja in poplavne ravnice. K ekosistemskim storitvam varovanja vodnih virov je glede na izbrane kazalnike največji skupni relativni prispevek urbanih gozdov (2,4), katerim sledijo travniki in opuščena kmetijska zemljišča (1,6). Mokrišča, močvirja oziroma poplavne ravnice (1,3) prispevajo podobno kot kmetijska zemljišča (1,2). Najmanjši relativni skupni relativni prispevek pa smo ugotovili za pozidane površine (0,0). Glede na velik prispevek urbanih gozdov k ekosistemski storitvi varovanja vodnih virov v primerjavi z drugimi rabami tal bi bilo smiselno njihov delež ohraniti ali v II. in III. vodovarstvenem območju celo povečati. Vsekakor pa bi bilo priporočljivo omejiti širjenje urbanizacije ter druge človekove dejavnosti, ki ogrožajo vodne vire.Through their ecosystem services, forests play an important role in protecting water resources, especially in urban environments. This paper presents a methodology for assessing ecosystem services of urban forests for the protection of a reserve water resource, representing the first such non-economic assessment. In order to compare ecosystem services of forests and other land use types, we selected indicators for forests and the other land use types, related to water purification, water flow regulation, and air pollution reduction for the catchment area for the reserve water source. For each indicator, the relative contribution of individual land use type to an ecosystem service for the protection of water resources was calculated: (1) agricultural land, (2) grassland and abandoned agricultural land, (3) urban forest, (4) wetlands, marshes and flood plains, and (5) built-up areas. The results of this study show that urban forests contribute more to the ecosystem service of protecting water resources compared to other land use types. The highest contribution of urban forests has been found for air pollution reduction, where indicators are significantly higher than for agricultural land or meadows. There was also a high contribution of urban forests to water flow regulation, which was similar to the one of wetlands, marshes and floodplains. According to the selected indicators, the relative contribution to the ecosystem services for the protection of water resources is the largest for urban forests (2.4), followed by meadows and abandoned agricultural land (1.6). Wetlands, swamps and floodplains (1.3) have similar contribution as cropland (1.2). However, build-up areas have the smallest total relative contribution (0.0). According to the results of this study, urban forests contribute largely to the ecosystem services in protecting water resources compared to other land use types. Therefore, their surface should be preserved or even increased in water protection zones II and III. Nevertheless, it is advisable to limit the spread of the urbanization and other human activities that threaten water resources

Assessing the heterogeneity and conservation status of the Natura 2000 priority forest habitat type Tilio–Acerion (9180*) based on field mapping

Priority habitat types (HTs) within the Natura 2000 network are of the highest importance for conservation in Europe. However, they often occur in smaller areas and their conservation status is not well understood. One such HT is that of the Tilio–Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines (9180*). The Natura 2000 study site, Boč–Haloze–Donačka gora, in the Sub-Pannonian region of eastern Slovenia is characterized by a matrix of European beech forests and includes rather small, fragmented areas covered by Tilio–Acerion forests. The goal of this research was to examine the heterogeneity and conservation status of the selected HT through field mapping, which was performed in the summer of 2020. As the conservation of HT calls for a more detailed approach, we distinguished between the following four pre-defined habitat subtypes: (i) Acer pseudoplatanus-Ulmus glabra stands growing mostly in concave terrain, (ii) Fraxinus excelsior stands growing on slopes, (iii) Tilia sp. stands with thermophilous broadleaves occurring on ridges and slopes, (iv) Acer pseudoplatanus stands occurring on more acidic soils with an admixture of Castanea sativa. Field mapping information was complemented with the assessment of habitat subtype characteristics using remote sensing data. The results showed that habitat subtypes differed significantly in terms of area, tree species composition, forest stand characteristics, relief features and the various threats they experienced (e.g., fragmentation, tree mortality, ungulate browsing pressure). The differences between subtypes were also evident for LiDAR-derived environmental factors related to topography (i.e., terrain steepness and Topographic Position Index). This study provides a baseline for setting more realistic objectives for the conservation management of priority forest HTs. Due to the specificities of each individual habitat subtype, conservation activities should be targeted to the Natura 2000 habitat subtype level

The effects of large-scale forest disturbances on hydrology

Large-scale forest disturbances (LSFD) are an essential component of forest ecosystem dynamics. The effects of rapid loss of forest cover and other changes in forest ecosystems are inextricably linked to hydrologic processes such as evapotranspiration, soil and recharge processes. Among all hydrogeological systems, karst aquifers are important because of their exceptionally rich and unique biodiversity, biomass, and groundwater resources. At the same time, they are characterized by specific hydrological processes that make them highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Therefore, this study paid special attention to the effects of LSFD on karst hydrology. Using the PRISMA checklist, a thorough literature review of studies published between 2001 and 2020 was compiled into a comprehensive matrix dataset. In addition, an initial assessment of the global and regional distribution of forests on carbonate rocks was made based on publicly available geodatabases of forests and karst aquifers. The compiled information provides the first global overview of hydrological processes affected by LSFD, and identifies important knowledge gaps and future research challenges. The matrix dataset contained 117 full-text articles with a total of 160 case studies. Most publications were from 2011 to 2017, with more than half of the studies at the plot level and more than one-third at the catchment level. Studies on the effects of fires and pest and diseases infestations predominated. However, no articles were found on the effects of ice storms on hydrology in general or on the effects of pest and disease infestations on hydrology in karst areas. Of the 45.6 M km2 of forested land worldwide, 6.3 M km2 or 13.9% of all forests are underlain by carbonate rocks. Carbonate rocks cover about 15% of the land surface, which means that 31.3% of the world\u27s karst aquifers are covered by forest. 29% of all case studies were conducted in karst areas, which is a high proportion compared to the proportion of forests in karst areas. However, these studies are unevenly distributed geographically. Most studies were conducted at the plot level, and only 21% of studies focused on natural LSFD, so forest management and land use change studies predominated. Although studies on the effects of LSFD on evapotranspiration processes between vegetation, air and soil are fairly well represented, infiltration and recharge processes in karst areas remain poorly understood and knowledge is lacking, particularly on groundwater flow and related hydrological processes. Regional studies and impacts on groundwater resources are also insufficient. The results indicate an urgent need for an integrated holistic interdisciplinary approach and a comprehensive understanding of the individual influencing factors, which would allow more accurate modelling of hydrological processes in forested karst aquifers

Nekaj zdravega, sladkega in užitnega iz gozda : povzetek referatov

V izobraževalnem seminarju z aktivnostmi gozdne pedagogike smo želeli združiti znanja, ki nekaterim že ustvarjajo delovna mesta, in potrebe širše javnosti, ki o teh nelesnih dobrinah ve precej, a kljub temu še ne dovolj, da bi se z njimi lahko poistovetila ali jih predajala kakovostno naprej