An den Grenzen des Waldes und der menschlichen Siedlung

• Main Author: Koch, Eva-Maria (auth)
• Other Authors: Erschbamer, Brigitta (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Published: innsbruck university press 2012
• Series: Alpine Forschungsstelle Obergurgl 2
• Subjects: Earth sciences, geography, environment, planning; Geology & the lithosphere; lichens; mosses; pastures; treeline research; archaeology; petrography; land use; human presence; subalpine meadows; pinus cembra forests; lithology; tree-ring analyses; toponyms; dwarf shrub communities; Gurgl; Zirbelkiefer
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

The subalpine zone of the inner Oetz Valley (Obergurgl/Vent, Tyrol, Austria) was influenced by human activities since several thousands of years. As a consequence a high diversity of plant communities developed at formerly forested areas by stone pine (Pinus cembra). Book no. 2 of the Alpine Research Centre Obergurgl aims to highlight the ecology of these environments at the edge of human settlement in a comprehensive way. Descriptions of the plant communities as well as an overview on treeline research in Obergurgl and investigations on tree-ring series are among the main chapters of the book. Investigations of toponyms and archeological findings at the edge of human settlement are reported here in an exclusive way. A chapter on lithology concludes the volume.

Jahrtausende alte Kultur- und Naturlandschaft verzahnen sich kleinräumig im Bereich der subalpinen Stufe im inneren Ötztal (Obergurgl/Vent, Tirol, Österreich). Hier fallen Waldgrenze und Dauersiedlungsgrenze zusammen und die menschliche Nutzung gab Anlass zu einer hohen Diversität an Pflanzengesellschaften: der ehemals ausgebildete Lärchen-Zirbenwald musste teilweise den Bergmähdern und -weiden weichen. Im Buch Nr. 2 der Alpinen Forschungsstelle Obergurgl fügen sich Beschreibungen der Pflanzengesellschaften, der Flurnamen, der archaologischen Funde, der Waldgrenz- und Jahrringforschung und der Mineralogie im inneren Ötztal zu einem Mosaik über die Besonderheiten der subalpinen Stufe in den Zentralalpen zusammen.