**3.3 Consequences of the forest fragmentation**

Ecological succession in an ecosystem represents an organized sequence of association's development including the changes of species composition and processes in time. Succession is considered a dynamic process where the new populations of the same or different species replace the dominant population of one or more species in a particular place. Changes of ecology caused by the sudden damage and subversion of more than 12,000 ha of forest are studied by the international interdisciplinary research often referred to as the "post-calamity" one which concentrates on microclimatic situation, water cycle, bioproduction, succession, species composition, regeneration and restoration processes, biochemical cycles, soil properties, erosion and contamination of the forest ecosystem. The principal aim is to asses the effects of different ways of management applied to damaged growths on the status and development of the model forest association (*Lariceto-Picetum*  one*)*, that was most heavily affected and is considered the autochthonous part of the unique anemo-orographic system. Approximately 100 ha areas were delimited with the most

The negative effects on forest biotopes increased when the fallen and broken trees were removed by heavy machinery in order to prevent the large-scale bark-beetle damage. Despite of this, bark beetles destroyed more than 1,700,000 trees before the year 2010 (Fig. 10). This forest habitat changes were not included in the fragmentation analysis based on

Fig. 10. Bark beetle calamity followed after the windfall (Photo: P. Barabáš)

Ecological succession in an ecosystem represents an organized sequence of association's development including the changes of species composition and processes in time. Succession is considered a dynamic process where the new populations of the same or different species replace the dominant population of one or more species in a particular place. Changes of ecology caused by the sudden damage and subversion of more than 12,000 ha of forest are studied by the international interdisciplinary research often referred to as the "post-calamity" one which concentrates on microclimatic situation, water cycle, bioproduction, succession, species composition, regeneration and restoration processes, biochemical cycles, soil properties, erosion and contamination of the forest ecosystem. The principal aim is to asses the effects of different ways of management applied to damaged growths on the status and development of the model forest association (*Lariceto-Picetum*  one*)*, that was most heavily affected and is considered the autochthonous part of the unique anemo-orographic system. Approximately 100 ha areas were delimited with the most

**3.3 Consequences of the forest fragmentation** 

CLC 2006.

similar conditions possible so that they were comparable in terms of properties and features of the forest ecosystem (Fleischer & Matejka, 2009).

Tabular synthesis confirmed 10 types of phytocenoses, mostly secondary, identifiable in the calamity area by mere visual observation (Fig. 11). They are: 1*. Calamagrostis villosa,* 2*. Chamerion angustifolium,* 3*. Calluna vulgaris,* 4*. Vaccinium myrtillus,* 5*. Avenella flexuosa,* 6*. Picea abies*, 7*. Sphagnum magellanicum,* 8*. Carex rostrata,* 9*. Juncus effusus,* and *10. Veronica officinalis*  (Olšavská et al., 2009). Humid substrates are colonized by phytocenoses with the dominating species of *Sphagnum magellanicum* and *Carex rostrata.* The second type of phytocenose is that of associations with increased share of types requiring the higher N level: *Chamaerion angustifolium* and *Veronica officinalis.* Associations with the dominant *Calamagrostis villosa*, are the one most frequent and they form a distinct mosaic along with overgrowths of *Chamaerion angustifolium,* in burnt down places. In future it is expected that *Chamaerion angustifolium*, will be pushed out by *Calamagrostis villosa.* Associations of *Lariceto-Picetum* especially *Vaccinium myrtillus, Avenella flexuosa, Picea abies* and the type of *Calluna vulgaris,* bound to the most acid soil represent the climax stage of forest.

Fig. 11. Natural revitalization of the damaged area (Photo: M. Kopecká)

Some species may be perfectly capable of surviving in a remnant forest many others may not. A forest patch is not the same as a piece of original forest: edge effects may now encroach or even traverse the whole patch. For example, Repel (2008) analysed the breeding bird assemblage structure; nesting, foraging and migrating guilds; bird and habitat

Destruction of the Forest Habitat in the Tatra National Park, Slovakia 273

windstorm is a very complicated process in terms of expertise, organization and economy. The aim of the present monitoring is to observe the process, to identify and assess the results in individual stages. Successful revitalization calls for a new forest-economic concept that is

Habitat fragmentation not only reduces the area of available habitat but also can also isolate populations and increase edge effects. Whatever the combination of biotic and abiotic changes, the forest patches generally can no longer sustain the production of biodiversity it once had as a part of a larger forest. Understanding of the possible consequences of forest fragmentation remains of great concern to conservationists, biologists and landscape ecologists. The use of forest fragmentation indices in the analysis of forest landscapes offers a great potential for integration of spatial pattern information in the landscape-ecological management processes, but also requires understanding of limitations and correct

This paper is one of the outputs of the VEGA Grant Agency Project No 2/0018/10 "Timespatial analysis of land use: dynamics of changes, fragmentation and stability assessments by application of the CORINE land cover data layers", pursued at the Institute of Geography of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Author thanks to K2 Studio for the

Betts, M. G.; Forbes, G. J., Diamond; A.W.& Taylor, P.D. (2006). Independent Effects of

Bruna, E.M. & Kress, J.W. (2002). Habitat Fragmentation and the Demographic Structure of

Crofts, R.; Zupancic-Vicar, M.; Marghescu, T. & Tederko, Z., 2005. *IUCN Mission to Tatra* 

D'Eon, R. G.; Glenn, S. M.; Parfitt, I. & Fortin M. J. (2002). Landscape connectivity as function

Faaborg, J.; Brittingham, M.; Donovan, T. & Blake, J. (1993). Habitat Fragmentation in the

 http://www.wolf.sk/files/dokumenty/IUCN\_EN\_zaverecna\_sprava\_2005.pdf Cunningham, M. & Moritz, C. (1998). Genetic effects of forest fragmentation on rainforest

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mosaic growths aided by natural processes and natural succession.

interpretation of results.

**5. Acknowledgment** 

photographs.

**6. References** 

relationship and the seasonal dynamics of bird assemblages within four research plots assigned by the management of the Tatra National Park.


The average density of breeding bird assemblages in reference stand was much higher than in the plot with extracted wood and wildfire plot. The assemblages on the not extracted plot had the highest average density. The structure of the breeding bird assemblages was most influenced by the portion of the not disturbed forest stands in the plot, number of live standing trees, proportion of dead wood in form of twig heaps, proportion of lying dead wood, and proportion of stones/stone fields in research plots*.* Kocian et al. (2005) presume that the activity of birds plays an especially significant role in foresting and restoration of forest in the Tatras, as some species (jay, nuthatch nutcracker) propagate natural wood species, such as beech, Swiss pine and hazel.

The use of forest fragmentation indices in the analysis of forest landscapes offers a great potential for integration of spatial pattern information in the landscape-ecological management processes, but requires understanding of the limitations and correct interpretation of results. Further monitoring of forest fragmentation based on remote sensing data together with the terrestrial monitoring of natural vegetation development and dynamics of indicative plant and animal species is necessary to realize the possible revitalization activities and to mitigate negative effects of the calamity windstorm in the Tatra region.
