About the research 

The research examines the impact of disturbances in mountain landscapes, particularly changes in the structure, extent and health of forest vegetation as a result of different causal processes on the connectivity and dynamics of fluvial processes.

The research is focused on different types of landscape and forest disturbance, induced by different causal factors, such as the forest vegetation damage by pollution, bark beetle outbreak, wind storms or forest management, or modifications of river network, riverbed and floodplains. The effect of these changes on stream and basin connectivity and on the dynamics of runoff and fluvial processes is analyzed using advanced technologies of remote sensing, non invasive detection and monitoring of processes, field survey and mapping and application of geostatistic and modelling tools.

The research is conducted in framework of several research schemes, allowing assess the changing response and dynamics of processes in long term perspective, enabling continuous monitoring of processes and analyses in time span, corresponding to the time scale of the assessed processes. 

The study areas are situated in mid latitude mountain evironment in Central Europe, which represent very sensitive indicator of the impact of environmental changes on the dynamics of fluvial processes. The core research area is located in the headwaters of the Sumava and Ore Mountains, as examples of areas affected by different manifestations of disturbances of forest vegetation and anthropogenic modifcations of streams.

Principal investigator

Prof. Jakub Langhammer
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology
langhamr (at) natur.cuni.cz

Research projects

UAV monitoring of bark beetle outbreak in Prague forests
Prague Environment grants, 2018-19

Impact of landscape disturbance on stream and basin connectivity
COST ES1306, LD 15130, 2015-17

The impact of disturbance on the dynamics of fluvial processes in mountain landscapes
Czech Science Foundation GAČR P209/12/0997, 2012-14