Evaluation of human impact on valley bottom sedimentation in Highlands: case study from Česká Bělá, Czechia

Vejrostová, Lenka; Lisá, Lenka; Bajer, Aleš; Pacina, Jan

doi:10.37040/geografie2017122010021

Geografie > Archive > 2017, Vol. 122 > Issue 1 > Evaluation of human impact on valley…

Geografie 2017, 122, 21-44

https://doi.org/10.37040/geografie2017122010021

Evaluation of human impact on valley bottom sedimentation in Highlands: case study from Česká Bělá, Czechia

Lenka Vejrostová^1,2, Lenka Lisá³, Aleš Bajer², Jan Pacina²

¹Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Prague, Czechia
²Mendel University, Faculty of Forestry and Wood technology, Department of Geology and Pedology, Brno, Czechia
³Masaryk University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geological Sciences, Brno, Czechia

Received January 2016
Accepted October 2016

The formation processes of small valleys and long-term anthropogenic impact on its sedimentary archives may be studied by GIS, sedimentology and investigation into spatial and vertical geochemical characteristics in the context of mining activities. The case study from the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands with well documented medieval mining activities demonstrates the typical dynamics of a small valley during the last centuries and also the possible rate of human impact. The information value of the floodplain record as well as the development of the landscape geomorphology is discussed. The infilling of the river bottom is comprised of two main lithological units keeping information about medieval mining and ore processing as well as about past and recent agricultural activities. The most recent land use influenced the aggradation of the valley bottom less than land use during the Medieval times.