The principal goal of this thesis was to provide relevant information on the spatiotemporal dynamics of erosion-sedimentation and weathering processes in the last climatic cycle and to interpret the obtained data in the context of European paleoenvironmental development. Representative sequences of loess, paleosols and lacustrine sediments from the area of the Bohemian Massif, the Carpathian Foredeep, the the Vienna Basin and the northern edge of the Panno-nian Basin were investigated using a wide range of instru-mental tools and paleontological methods. A uniform analytical approach applied to these sedimentary facies has provided ample new information about the paleoclimatolog-ical and paleoenvironmental development of East-Central Europe - an important region in the transition zone from oceanic to continental macro-climatic settings. The individu-al studies included in this PhD thesis cover the complete period of the Upper Pleistocene (MIS 5-2; ~130-12.7 ky BP) and are presented as separate chapters in the order of the superposition of strata. Chapters III/1-3 deal with the results of research into six loess/paleosol sequences (LPSs) situated in the Central Bohemian Massif, throughout the Moravian Valleys, and at the northwest and north edge of the Pannonian Basin. A detailed paleoenvironmental...

Soil organic matter (SOM) is highly important for soil quality and the global carbon cycle. SOM content is influenced by a complex interplay of many different factors such as time, climate, parent material, vegetation, and others. The effect of time is often studied using the chronosequence approach using a set of study sites differing in age but comparable in other soil-forming factors. The effect of other factors can be studied by comparing two or more chronosequences. An important assumption of these approaches is that the SOM quantification methods produce comparable results both among sites of each sequence and among different sequences. In this thesis, I explored the key factors in SOM accumulation and dealt with SOM quantification methods. I studied SOM accumulation in two model situations - in post-mining sites after open-cast coal and oil shale mining and in landslides in the Western Carpathians. The results of this thesis are summarized in one book chapter accepted for publication and four papers, out of which three have been published and one is prepared for publication in an international journal with impact factor. The key factor affecting the rate of SOM accumulation after a major disturbance is time. The accumulation rates found in the first 40 to 100 years in both post-mining sites...

Saltwater Forest is a Dacrydium cupressinum-dominated lowland forest covering 9000 ha in south Westland, South Island, New Zealand. Four thousand hectares is managed for sustainable production of indigenous timber. The aim of this study was to provide an integrated analysis of soils, soil-landform relationships, and soil-vegetation relationships at broad and detailed scales. The broad scale understandings provide a framework in which existing or future studies can be placed and the detailed studies elucidate sources of soil and forest variability. Glacial landforms dominate. They include late Pleistocene lateral, terminal and ablation moraines, and outwash aggradation and degradation terraces. Deposits and landforms from six glacial advances have been recognised ranging from latest Last (Otira) Glaciation to Penultimate (Waimea) Glaciation. The absolute ages of landforms were established by analysis of the thickness and soil stratigraphy of loess coverbeds, augmented with radiocarbon dating and phytolith and pollen analysis. In the prevailing high rainfall of Westland soil formation is rapid. The rate of loess accretion in Saltwater Forest (ca. 30 mm ka⁻¹) has been low enough that soil formation and loess accretion took place contemporaneously. Soils formed in this manner are known as upbuilding soils. The significant difference between upbuilding pedogenesis and pedogenesis in a topdown sense into an existing sediment body is that each subsoil increment of an upbuilding soil has experienced processes of all horizons above. In Saltwater Forest subsoils of upbuilding soils are strongly altered because they have experienced the extremely acid environment of the soil surface at some earlier time. Some soil chronosequence studies in Westland have included upbuilding soils formed in loess as the older members of the sequence. Rates and types of processes inferred from these soils should be reviewed because upbuilding is a different pedogenic pathway to topdown pedogenesis. Landform age and morphology were used as a primary stratification for a study of the soil pattern and nature of soil variability in the 4000 ha production area of Saltwater Forest. The age of landforms (> 14 ka) and rapid soil formation mean that soils are uniformly strongly weathered and leached. Soils include Humic Organic Soils, Perch-gley Podzols, Acid Gley Soils, Allophanic Brown Soils, and Orthic or Pan Podzols. The major influence on the nature of soils is site hydrology which is determined by macroscale features of landforms (slope, relief, drainage density), mesoscale effects related to position on landforms, and microscale influences determined by microtopography and individual tree effects. Much of the soil variability arises at microscales so that it is not possible to map areas of uniform soils at practical map scales. The distribution of soil variability across spatial scales, in relation to the intensity of forest management, dictates that it is most appropriate to map soil complexes with boundaries coinciding with landforms. Disturbance of canopy trees is an important agent in forest dynamics. The frequency of forest disturbance in the production area of Saltwater Forest varies in a systematic way among landforms in accord with changes in abundance of different soils. The frequency of forest turnover is highest on landforms with the greatest abundance of extremely poorly-drained Organic Soils. As the abundance of better-drained soils increases the frequency of forest turnover declines. Changes in turnover frequency are reflected in the mean size and density of canopy trees (Dacrydium cupressinum) among landforms. Terrace and ablation moraine landforms with the greatest abundance of extremely poorly-drained soils have on average the smallest trees growing most densely. The steep lateral moraines, characterised by well drained soils, have fewer, larger trees. The changes manifested at the landform scale are an integration of processes operating over much shorter range as a result of short-range soil variability. The systematic changes in forest structure and turnover frequency among landforms and soils have important implications for sustainable forest management.

Saltwater Forest is a Dacrydium cupressinum-dominated lowland forest covering 9000 ha in south Westland, South Island, New Zealand. Four thousand hectares is managed for sustainable production of indigenous timber. The aim of this study was to provide an integrated analysis of soils, soil-landform relationships, and soil-vegetation relationships at broad and detailed scales. The broad scale understandings provide a framework in which existing or future studies can be placed and the detailed studies elucidate sources of soil and forest variability. Glacial landforms dominate. They include late Pleistocene lateral, terminal and ablation moraines, and outwash aggradation and degradation terraces. Deposits and landforms from six glacial advances have been recognised ranging from latest Last (Otira) Glaciation to Penultimate (Waimea) Glaciation. The absolute ages of landforms were established by analysis of the thickness and soil stratigraphy of loess coverbeds, augmented with radiocarbon dating and phytolith and pollen analysis. In the prevailing high rainfall of Westland soil formation is rapid. The rate of loess accretion in Saltwater Forest (ca. 30 mm ka⁻¹) has been low enough that soil formation and loess accretion took place contemporaneously. Soils formed in this manner are known as upbuilding soils. The significant difference between upbuilding pedogenesis and pedogenesis in a topdown sense into an existing sediment body is that each subsoil increment of an upbuilding soil has experienced processes of all horizons above. In Saltwater Forest subsoils of upbuilding soils are strongly altered because they have experienced the extremely acid environment of the soil surface at some earlier time. Some soil chronosequence studies in Westland have included upbuilding soils formed in loess as the older members of the sequence. Rates and types of processes inferred from these soils should be reviewed because upbuilding is a different pedogenic pathway to topdown pedogenesis. Landform age and morphology were used as a primary stratification for a study of the soil pattern and nature of soil variability in the 4000 ha production area of Saltwater Forest. The age of landforms (> 14 ka) and rapid soil formation mean that soils are uniformly strongly weathered and leached. Soils include Humic Organic Soils, Perch-gley Podzols, Acid Gley Soils, Allophanic Brown Soils, and Orthic or Pan Podzols. The major influence on the nature of soils is site hydrology which is determined by macroscale features of landforms (slope, relief, drainage density), mesoscale effects related to position on landforms, and microscale influences determined by microtopography and individual tree effects. Much of the soil variability arises at microscales so that it is not possible to map areas of uniform soils at practical map scales. The distribution of soil variability across spatial scales, in relation to the intensity of forest management, dictates that it is most appropriate to map soil complexes with boundaries coinciding with landforms. Disturbance of canopy trees is an important agent in forest dynamics. The frequency of forest disturbance in the production area of Saltwater Forest varies in a systematic way among landforms in accord with changes in abundance of different soils. The frequency of forest turnover is highest on landforms with the greatest abundance of extremely poorly-drained Organic Soils. As the abundance of better-drained soils increases the frequency of forest turnover declines. Changes in turnover frequency are reflected in the mean size and density of canopy trees (Dacrydium cupressinum) among landforms. Terrace and ablation moraine landforms with the greatest abundance of extremely poorly-drained soils have on average the smallest trees growing most densely. The steep lateral moraines, characterised by well drained soils, have fewer, larger trees. The changes manifested at the landform scale are an integration of processes operating over much shorter range as a result of short-range soil variability. The systematic changes in forest structure and turnover frequency among landforms and soils have important implications for sustainable forest management.

Le chernozem est un sol emblématique, car il a participé à la naissance de la pédologie par l’intermédiaire des travaux de Dokuchaev (1883). Depuis, la formation des chernozems a suscité de nombreuses questions parmi les pédologues, botanistes et paléo-environnementalistes. Tandis qu’en Europe de l’Est et en Eurasie les chernozems sont décrits comme des sols zonaux, typiques des milieux steppiques continentaux, les zones où on les rencontre en Europe Centrale sont prédisposées par leur climat à la présence de forêts. L’objectif de notre travail vise à enrichir ce débat en reconstituant les conditions environnementales de la pédogénèse de ces sols en Europe Centrale. Le chernozem est un sol le plus souvent développé sur lœss à horizon de surface organique très épais et sombre qui passe directement à un horizon calcaire. La matière organique a subi une lente évolution sous la dépendance de contrastes climatiques. Néanmoins, en Europe Centrale, les facteurs climatiques liés à la présence de chernozems sont à nuancer. Les chernozems sont censés s’être formés sous les conditions climatiques différentes d’aujourd’hui qui ont dominé en Europe Centrale au Tardiglaciaire et au début de l’Holocène. Si des nuances climatiques permettent d’expliquer la différence de répartition des chernozems (« plus sec ») et des luvisols (« plus humide ») à l’échelle régionale, ce n’est plus vrai à l’échelle locale où les limites entre ces sols sont très brutales, alors que les conditions de milieu sont identiques. Une théorie pour expliquer leur persistance considère que ce serait l’ouverture artificielle du milieu, continue depuis le Néolithique, qui aurait bloqué leur évolution vers d’autres types de sols. Cette hypothèse expliquerait leur répartition sous forme d’îlots ou de mosaïque, alternant avec des luvisols et des phaeozems. Nous avons privilégié dans notre questionnement l’étude des archives pédologiques, plus précisément celle des matières organiques, dont certaines ont la capacité de résider dans le sol pendant des milliers d’années. Celles-ci sont d’origine locale et permettent donc de reconstituer l’environnement végétal immédiat lors de la formation du sol. Elles ont été analysées par spectroscopie proche infrarouge qualitative (SPIR-qual). Cet outil représente une approche novatrice dans l’étude des paléo-environnements. Cette approche s’est accompagnée d’une étude pédoanthracologique sur certains paléosols et de l’analyse micromorphologique d’une catena chernozem – luvisol à l’échelle stationnelle. Nous avons montré que certains chernozems ont évolué constamment sous prairie, tandis que d’autres ont une histoire récente forestière, mais ont connu auparavant une évolution sous végétation de prairie. Les études pédoanthracologiques sur des paléochernozems pléistocènes et holocènes ont chaque fois révélé la présence de charbons de bois d’essence forestière. L’analyse micromorphologique de la catena met en évidence un chernozem qui s’est développé à partir d’un luvisol ce qui contraste avec les modèles habituels de dégradation des chernozems en luvisols. Ce travail confirme que la couverture végétale des chernozems peut selon le cas être forestière ou prairiale. Il est certain que des chernozems ont évolué pendant un laps de temps long sous forêt. Ce résultat est en contradiction avec l’hypothèse dominante, qui veut que les chernozems se développent et subsistent exclusivement sous steppe. / Chernozem became the crucial soil for the beginnings of soil science through the work of Dokuchaev from 1883. Since then the genesis of chernozems in Central Europe has raised many questions among soil scientists, botanists and paleo-environmentalists. While in Eastern Europe chernozems have been described as zonal soils, that are typical for continental steppe and forest-steppe areas, there are areas in Central Europe which are predisposed by their climatic characteristics to the presence of woodlands. The goal of this dissertation is to enrich the discussion about the genesis of chernozems by restoring the environmental conditions that were prevalent during the formation of chernozem soils in Central Europe. Chernozems are usually developed on loess with a very thick and dark organic surface which passes directly to a calcareous horizon. The organic matter underwent a polymerization in dependence on climate contrasts. However, in Central Europe, the climatic characteristics of the areas of chernozems are a bit different. These chernozems are supposed to have been formed under the climatic conditions that dominated Central Europe during the Late Glacial and the Early Holocene. The climatic nuances may contribute to the explanation of the differences in distribution of chernozems ("drier") and luvisols ("more humide") at a regional level, but they are no help at a local level with the same environmental conditions where the boundaries between chernozems and luvisols are very sharp. There is a theory about their persistence that considers the agriculture since the Neolithic being the reason for the fact that their progression to other types of soil was blocked. This theory would explain their distribution in the form of mosaic, alternating with luvisols and phaeozems. This study is focused on questioning of the memory of soils and especially of their organic matter. Some soil organic matter has the ability to persist in soils for thousands of years. Such organic matter has a purely local origin. That is why it is possible to reconstruct the vegetation from the period of time of the formation of soils. There is qualitative near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) applied for the analysis of the soil organic matter. This method is an innovative approach to the studying of the paleoenvironments of chernozems. This approach is accompanied by a anthracological study of some paleosols and of a micromorphological analysis of a catena chernozem - luvisol on a very local scale (300 m). The NIRS analysis has proved that some chernozems developed under grassland. Other chernozems have a recent forest history, but they had also existed under grassland vegetation before. There were found some chernozems with a source of heterogeneous organic material. The charcoals studies of paleochernozems of the Pleistocene and of the Holocene have revealed the presence of woods. The micromorphological analysis of a catena between chernozem and luvisol has shown a chernozem which developed from a luvisol. That contrasts with the usual models of the degradation of chernozems into luvisols. This dissertation confirms that the vegetation cover of chernozems can be both: grassland or woodland. Certainly, chernozems also developed under forest during a period of time. This result is inconsistent with the prevailing hypothesis that claims chernozems develop and preserve exclusively under steppe. / Černozemě se staly díky Dokučajevově dizertaci z roku 1883 významné pro počátky vědy o půdě. Geneze černozemí ve Střední Evropě se dodnes těší velkému zájmu pedologů, botaniků a paleoenvironmentalistů. Zatímco ve Východní Evropě byly popsány jako zonální půdy, které jsou typické pro kontinentální stepi, existují ve Střední Evropě oblasti, jež jsou svými klimatickými vlastnostmi predestinovány pro přítomnost lesních porostů. Předkládaná dizertační práce si klade za cíl přispět k diskuzi o vzniku černozemí tím, že pojednává o environmentálních podmínkách, které byly určující při formování černozemních půd ve Střední Evropě. Černozemě se obvykle vyvíjely na spraši, jsou charakteristické svým mocným povrchovým organickým horizontem, který přímo přechází do horizontu vápenatého. Organický materiál prošel díky meziročním klimatickým rozdílům pomalou polymerizací. Ve Střední Evropě jsou ale klimatické vlastnosti černozemních oblastí odlišné. Zdejší černozemě se patrně formovaly v klimatických podmínkách, které převládaly v pozdní době ledové a raném holocénu. Klimatické nuance sice mohou na regionální úrovni přispět k osvětlení rozdílů v distribuci „suchých“ černozemí a „spíše vlhkých“ hnědozemí, ale rozhodně neřeší problematiku na lokální úrovni, kde při stejných klimatických podmínkách existují ostré přechody mezi černozemí a hnědozemí. Teorie o zachování černozemí praví, že zemědělská činnost v neolitu zabránila jejich přeměnám v další půdy. Tato teorie nabízí uspokojivé vysvětlení k rozmístění černozemních půd ve formě mozaiky, kde černozemě alternují s hnědozeměmi či šedozeměmi. Práce se zaměřuje na otázku paměti půd a jejich organického materiálu. Některý organický materiál může v půdě existovat po tisíce let, je výhradně lokálního původu, a proto je možné z něj určit vegetaci z doby formování půd. Pro analýzu půdního organického materiálu je užívána metoda infračervené spektroskopie (NIRS). Tato metoda představuje inovativní přínos ke studiu paleoenvironmentálních prvků u černozemí. Mimoto práce obsahuje i paleoantrakologickou studii vybraných pohřbených půd a mikromorfologickou analýzu katény černozem – hnědozem na malém území (300m). NIRS prokázala, že některé černozemě vznikaly pod travnatým povrchem. Jiné černozemě mají nedávnou lesní historii, ale původně se nacházely pod travnatou vegetací. Nalezeny byly i černozemě s heterogenním organickým materiálem. Výzkum uhlíku z paleočernozemí z období pleistocénu a holocénu prokázal přítomnost dřevin. Mikromorfologická analýza katény mezi černozemí a hnědozemí demonstruje, že jsou i černozemě vzniklé z hnědozemě, což kontrastuje s obvyklými modely degradace černozemí na hnědozemě. Tato dizertační práce dokazuje, že vegetace pokrývající černozemě může být dřevinné nebo travnaté povahy. Zcela jistě se černozemě vyvíjely také pod lesem. Výsledky dizertace jsou v rozporu s převládající hypotézou o tom, že černozemě vznikají a poté trvale existují výhradně pod stepí.