Abstract
Old coniferous forests in the northern boreal part of Scandinavia, still unaffected by modern forestry, serve as models and reference concepts for near-natural management and ecological studies of biodiversity. However, new evidence indicate that pre-industrial human impact (>300 years) has a significantly longer time-depth, and more profound effects on ecological processes and ecosystem functions than previously acknowledged. The overall aim of this multidisciplinary project is to analyse gradients of pre-industrial human impact in selected large forest reserves (> 10 000 ha) in northern Sweden. Our hypothesis is that long term anthropogenic influence on low productive boreal forest ecosystems affect ecosystem productivity and resilience, resulting in slow but major ecosystem transformations over time. The study sites comprise three large forest reserves along a north/south gradient. The time frame is the last c. 1000 years, and the methods used include archaeological investigations, analysis of historical records and maps, dendroecology and palaeoecology. In each study area the same sequence of investigations will be carried out to identify gradients of human impact and to direct detailed investigations. The expected results can be used to assess the use of forest reserves as references for comparative studies, and for studies on disturbance and resilience in forest ecosystems and to provide tools for preservation of the cultural heritage in northern forest ecosystems.
Sweden