Did humans and natural forests coexist in close proximity? A case study of the Lateglacial and Holocene Mollusca in the Moravian Karst, Czech Republic

Abstract

Prehistoric settlements are usually perceived as being in opposition to the natural development of the landscape. Indeed, for woodland snail assemblages in anthropogenic landscapes in central Europe, considerable impoverishment is typical. However, it remains unclear whether this has been caused by humans only or also by climate effects. From an archaeological point of view, the Moravian Karst is one of the classic prehistorical locations in central Europe, but with a more humid climate than the previously studied anthropogenic areas. To learn more about coexistence of humans and natural forests during the Lateglacial and Holocene, we analysed 11 mollusc successions covering this entire area, a unique data set for such a relatively small area. These mollusc successions show several specific features compared to the standard development known from other mid‐European areas. One is that although the Moravian Karst is not far from the Western Carpathians, Carpathian species appeared relatively late, only during the second half of the Holocene climatic optimum. Similarly, some western European and Alpine elements appeared later than expected. In contrast to this, however, a number of forest species with central European range appeared relatively early during the Lateglacial or Early Holocene. Two even survived the Last Glacial Maximum in the Moravian Karst. This would suggest an early occurrence of forest patches in a mosaic landscape. Humans have apparently inhabited this area since the Lateglacial amongst islands of forests, which later changed during the Boreal and then the climatic optimum into humid canopy forests. Thus, a mosaic of anthropogenic and natural habitats persisting in close vicinity was possible in rugged and humid landscapes practically until the Industrial Revolution.

Phylogeography and potential glacial refugia of terrestrial gastropod Faustina faustina (Rossmässler, 1835) (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Helicidae) inferred from molecular data and species distribution models

“…This change in environmental conditions has also been confirmed by fossil data from the Western Carpathians, where a number of forest snails sharply increased during the first half of this period and were predominating during the entire Holocene (Horsák et al 2019). In addition, F. faustina dispersed westwards from the Carpathians to the Moravian Karst and the Bohemian Sudetes foothills during the Holocene (Juřičková et al 2013(Juřičková et al , 2019b. Late-glacial or Early-Holocene records of this species from the Slovak Eastern Carpathians (Juřičková et al 2019a) suggest that the West-Carpathian population may also have expanded its range towards the east.…”

Mollusc successions reveal northward postglacial shifts of Alpine species ranges (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic)

“…One mollusc succession documented the local extinction of the steppe species Helicopsis striata and the humid forests species Perforatella bidentata . The temporally isolated dispersion of the Carpathian element Faustina faustina was captured during the Late-Holocene, similarly as in the Moravian Karst and the North Bohemian sandstones (Juřičková et al, 2019, 2020). Moreover, two Alpine elements went extinct there (see below).…”

“…Similarly, Cecilioides acicula is relatively modern immigrant to Central Europe (Ložek, 1964). The Carpathian species Macrogastra tumida could have spread to the Blanský les PLA only recently, as is similarly evidenced for several Carpathian elements in other areas of the Bohemian Massif that are situated even closer to the Carpathians (Juřičková et al, 2019). Still, we do not have any explanation for the fossil absence of four other species that are recently abundant in the Blanský les PLA ( Acanthinula aculeata, Vallonia excentrica, Vitrea subrimata and Vitrina pellucida ).…”

“…Horáčková et al, 2015; Juřičková et al, 2014a; Ložek, 1982) (Figure 1). The closest profiles to the north are situated 120 km away in the Bohemian Karst and 70 km away in the Moravian Karst (Horáčková et al, 2015; Juřičková et al, 2019). The reason for this isolation is the absence of fossiliferous sediments in surrounding areas.…”

The lost paradise of snails: Transformation of the middle-Holocene forest ecosystems in Bohemia, Czech Republic, as revealed by declining land snail diversity

“…yr BP. Apart from the middle-Holocene occurrences in the Moravian Karst, which is only 50 km from the Carpathians (Juřičková et al., 2019), no other Holocene records of Faustina faustina were known from the Czech Republic up to now. This indicates a recent origin of the modern range of this species out of the Carpathians (Horsák et al., 2013).…”