What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the long-term ecological resilience and compositional shifts of an old-growth beech forest in response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances over the last 2,700 years.

August 16, 2026Biological ConservationOpen Access

Multi-millennial ecological resilience and disturbances of an old-growth beech forest in the Eastern Carpathians

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To evaluate the long-term ecological resilience and compositional shifts of an old-growth beech forest in response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances over the last 2,700 years.
Analyzed a 2,700-year continuous sedimentary record from Lake Morské oko.
Employed a multiproxy approach integrating fossil pollen, macro-charcoal influx, fungal spores (including coprophilous taxa), and sedimentary biomarkers to reconstruct forest community dynamics, fire regimes, and grazing activity.
Under low-disturbance regimes characterized by natural fire and fungal outbreaks, the forest ecosystem maintained stable dominance of European beech.
An increase in human disturbance around 1,150 cal yr BP from fire use and pastoral grazing drove a marked compositional shift toward stress-tolerant, light-demanding species such as birch and hazel.
While the forest showed capacity for partial recovery when disturbances eased, combined modern pressures from climate change and ongoing human impact continue to alter forest composition.

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Implication

Paleoecological reconstruction reveals long-term resilience and human vulnerability in an old-growth beech forest, highlighting the need to mitigate modern anthropogenic pressures.

Cite This Study

Mateo-Beneito et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817980f2fb91fc834ac9d9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.112034

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Implication

Paleoecological reconstruction reveals long-term resilience and human vulnerability in an old-growth beech forest, highlighting the need to mitigate modern anthropogenic pressures.

Multi-millennial ecological resilience and disturbances of an old-growth beech forest in the Eastern Carpathians

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Multi-millennial ecological resilience and disturbances of an old-growth beech forest in the Eastern Carpathians

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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