Morphological response of channels to long-term human interventions in mountain basins on the example of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts (Czechia)

Abstract

The paper summarizes the history of human interactions with mountain streams on the example of the flysch Western Carpathians, Czechia. These are represented by indirect impacts since the 16th century, mainly corresponding to extensive changes in land use and species composition of forests, and by direct human interventions as timber floating with the removal of instream wood (since the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century) and check-dam constructions (since 1906). Mountain streams are very sensitive to changes in sediment supply, hydrological regime or direct interventions and produce a fast morphological response. Thus, hydromorphological assessments and management of mountain streams should take into consideration the contemporary land use at the basin scale in historical perspective, sediment connectivity and the occurrence of instream wood as important elements of stream habitat.