related to the imposed winter cessation of activities and to the noticeable proportion of
land scarcely or not at all exploitable (rocky and scree areas, alpine heathland,
fell-fields, etc.). However, growing evidence is emerging on the profound shifts
caused by human activity at several levels of the high mountain wilderness, such as
depletion or vanishing of large mammal’s populations, alien fish introduction, uneven
grazing by domestic herbivores, overuse of running waters, or forest exploitation.
Up to some decades ago, exploitation was thought as limited to shape
semi-natural ecosystems, hampered by the limitations inherent to the environment.
Short seasonal forest growing led to longer logging periodicity in subalpine
woodlands than in lower altitude forests, and grazing intensity necessarily remained
lower than the resprouting capacity of grasslands. However, as high mountain
ecosystems become more finely analyzed, more footprints of exploitation practices
emerge to identify these activities as key factors in the current ecosystem functioning. The present structure and functioning of woodlands are in many cases a
delayed response to ancient logging. For instance, this included recent tree mortality in the Pyrenean Abies alba forests, a phenomenon predisposed by historical
logging that enhanced dense tree populations and induced by recent climatic
changes (Camarero 2017a). Similarly, shifts in alpine grazing have changed
grassland structure and composition (Komac et al. 2014).
Forestry is the most controversial issue concerning resource extraction in the
mountains; particularly if a view of maintaining a cultural landscape predominates
above wilderness enhancement (Agnoletti 2007). Where nature reserves include
large forested areas there is little argument for selective extraction, since they can
maintain natural dynamics—including catastrophic events. However, in the tiny
reserves of many European ranges forest management may be an important issue.
Arguments against forest aging and consequently selective cutting may appear even
with the conservationist support. Global change tendencies and the need for pest
control may increase the supporters of this latter view.
Mountains are full of natural resources susceptible to economic exploitation. As
a result of the orographic processes many ranges are rich in metals. This was very
early appreciated, and even in dry high mountains (e.g. Sierra Nevada, Iberian
Peninsula), where high-altitude agriculture or herding was not particularly suitable,
mining was an old practice (Martin Civantos 2014). The techniques for mineral
extraction in former times were not particularly concerned with the environment.
As a consequence, a legacy of pollution is maintained in the soils affected by
atmospheric transport from the mining sites in the region. Environmental history
studying palaeoenvironmental registers is progressively unveiling the distribution
and patterns of this old extractive activity (Catalan 2015). In some valleys, rich in
metals close to the surface, an associated metallurgic industry has impacted forest to
provide wood fuel (Pèlachs et al. 2009). This activity also has a changing dynamics
of centuries; current landscapes bearing apparently well-develop forests may hide a
history of several centuries of exploitation. Historically, mining industry/business
was firmly driven by economic constraints, compared to pasturing or agriculture
that could be closely related to the local domestic activities. Therefore, except in
14
J. Catalan et al.
land scarcely or not at all exploitable (rocky and scree areas, alpine heathland,
fell-fields, etc.). However, growing evidence is emerging on the profound shifts
caused by human activity at several levels of the high mountain wilderness, such as
depletion or vanishing of large mammal’s populations, alien fish introduction, uneven
grazing by domestic herbivores, overuse of running waters, or forest exploitation.
Up to some decades ago, exploitation was thought as limited to shape
semi-natural ecosystems, hampered by the limitations inherent to the environment.
Short seasonal forest growing led to longer logging periodicity in subalpine
woodlands than in lower altitude forests, and grazing intensity necessarily remained
lower than the resprouting capacity of grasslands. However, as high mountain
ecosystems become more finely analyzed, more footprints of exploitation practices
emerge to identify these activities as key factors in the current ecosystem functioning. The present structure and functioning of woodlands are in many cases a
delayed response to ancient logging. For instance, this included recent tree mortality in the Pyrenean Abies alba forests, a phenomenon predisposed by historical
logging that enhanced dense tree populations and induced by recent climatic
changes (Camarero 2017a). Similarly, shifts in alpine grazing have changed
grassland structure and composition (Komac et al. 2014).
Forestry is the most controversial issue concerning resource extraction in the
mountains; particularly if a view of maintaining a cultural landscape predominates
above wilderness enhancement (Agnoletti 2007). Where nature reserves include
large forested areas there is little argument for selective extraction, since they can
maintain natural dynamics—including catastrophic events. However, in the tiny
reserves of many European ranges forest management may be an important issue.
Arguments against forest aging and consequently selective cutting may appear even
with the conservationist support. Global change tendencies and the need for pest
control may increase the supporters of this latter view.
Mountains are full of natural resources susceptible to economic exploitation. As
a result of the orographic processes many ranges are rich in metals. This was very
early appreciated, and even in dry high mountains (e.g. Sierra Nevada, Iberian
Peninsula), where high-altitude agriculture or herding was not particularly suitable,
mining was an old practice (Martin Civantos 2014). The techniques for mineral
extraction in former times were not particularly concerned with the environment.
As a consequence, a legacy of pollution is maintained in the soils affected by
atmospheric transport from the mining sites in the region. Environmental history
studying palaeoenvironmental registers is progressively unveiling the distribution
and patterns of this old extractive activity (Catalan 2015). In some valleys, rich in
metals close to the surface, an associated metallurgic industry has impacted forest to
provide wood fuel (Pèlachs et al. 2009). This activity also has a changing dynamics
of centuries; current landscapes bearing apparently well-develop forests may hide a
history of several centuries of exploitation. Historically, mining industry/business
was firmly driven by economic constraints, compared to pasturing or agriculture
that could be closely related to the local domestic activities. Therefore, except in
14
J. Catalan et al.