The history of the Jizera Mts forests in the former heavily polluted area of Central Europe

Abstract

The Jizera Mountains, situated on the Czech-Polish border and close to Germany, are today an environmentally valuable area attractive for visitors from sportspeople to nature lovers. In the 1980s, however, these mountains were among the most ecologically disrupted places in Europe. Emissions from lignite power plants largely destroyed the Jizera forests. This review summarises the development of forests in the Jizera Mountains and the human activities that influenced the area since the Middle Ages. Particular attention is given to the Industrial Revolution and also to the air pollution calamity in the 1970s and 1980s. The paper describes the causes of the decline of the forests and the factors that led to a significant improvement. Existing challenges for foresters and environmentalists are discussed. This paper views the development of forest ecosystems in the light of political and social events in the border area of three states where the Jizera Mountains are located.