Abstract Located in a transitional climatic zone of the Antarctic continent, James Ross Island (JRI) presents soils that reflect complex interactions between lithology, topography, and pedogenesis. This study characterizes soils along a toposequence to evaluate how slope position and parent material control soil properties and weathering patterns in a semiarid Antarctic setting. Five soil profiles were analyzed and classified according to the World Reference Base and Soil Taxonomy systems: three on volcanic tuffs ( Terrapin Hill Fm .) and two on sedimentary rocks ( Whisky Bay Fm .). Soils were classified. To characterize and compare their properties, physical, chemical, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses were performed, including the application of weathering indices. Four profiles (three on Terrapin Hill Fm . and one on Whisky Bay Fm .) were identified as Cryosols and one as a Regosol. Chemically, all soils exhibited alkaline pH (>7.6) and elevated sodium concentrations (1195.2–4093.0 mg kg − 1 ). Results indicate that soils on volcanic tuffs show evidence of possible dry permafrost, a feature not previously reported on JRI, whereas soils on sedimentary rocks exhibit higher quartz content and more advanced weathering signatures. Sodium enrichment from marine aerosols is widespread, and weathering indices highlight clay enrichment driven by sodium and calcium. These findings advance the understanding of soil–landscape evolution in transitional Antarctic environments and underscore the role of microtopography and lithology in shaping pedogenic pathways, with implications for permafrost vulnerability and pedogeomorphic modeling under climate change, particularly by identifying soil–landscape controls on thaw sensitivity and sediment distribution patterns.

The growth and survival of the Arctic and boreal bivalve Mya truncata during the Early to Mid-Holocene in Billefjorden, central Svalbard, was predominantly influenced by basin-specific environmental factors. This study revealed that lack of nutrient availability caused by influx of large amounts of glacial meltwater and seabed conditions were critical in shaping population dynamics, shell morphology and growth rates. In stable environments M. truncata developed larger shell sizes and exhibited longer lifespans, averaging c. 20 years, approaching the species' maximum age for High Arctic conditions. Conversely, basins with higher sediment dynamics and nutrient scarcity resulted in smaller, thinner-shelled individuals. Morphological variations across basins reveal two distinct M. truncata morphotypes: thick-shelled specimens in stable, nutrient-rich basins and thinner-shelled forms in nutrient-poor, dynamic environments. Despite warmer conditions during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM; similar to 9-6 cal. ka BP), shell growth rates were limited due to a decline in nutrient input from large influxes of glacial meltwater. Age-dependent growth patterns further highlight the influence of basin factors, with older populations in stable basins displaying enhanced growth compared with younger populations in dynamic parts of the fjord-system. The size and longevity of M. truncata could be used as a proxy for past winter sea-ice extent. This study underscores the critical interplay of local hydrological, oceanological and sedimentological conditions in shaping M. truncata populations. These findings emphasize that lack of nutrient availability caused by influx of glacial meltwater and seabed dynamics, rather than temperature alone, was a decisive factor during the Holocene. M. truncata serves as a valuable palaeoenvironmental indicator, reflecting basin-specific ecological dynamics in Arctic marine systems during a period characterised by climatic and environmental change.

Studying permafrost in Antarctica provides insights into climate history, soil and rock structure, and a unique biodiversity with potential impact on ecosystems. Although a great deal of effort has been devoted to the microbiological composition of permafrost soils, the objective pursued in this study is, for the first time, to examine soil and rock samples collected from a 350 cm deep core drilled near the Johann Gregor Mendel Czech Antarctic Station on the Ulu Peninsula of James Ross Island, to study the effect of geochemical properties on microbial composition and diversity and vice versa. We collected samples from the profile starting on the ground surface down to 350 cm depth and correlated information from metagenomic 16S rRNA gene analysis and geochemical data. The 80-cm-thick active layer had a distinct bacterial composition different from the Pseudomonadota-rich permafrost layer, with Actinomycetota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexota, and Verrucomicrobiota being the prevalent phyla. Throughout the core, the higher bacterial diversity was positively associated with the sand fraction and intensive weathering. The highest identified diversity in the deepest part of the active layer (transient active layer) suggests that the bacteria here have been gradually cryopreserved, possibly accumulating from the upper layers. In summary, the identified interface between the active layer and permafrost, as well as the transition within the permafrost from Holocene marine sediments to underlying Cretaceous sedimentary rocks (deeper than similar to 260 cm), had the greatest influence on the bacterial composition. Decadal records of soil temperature and active layer thickness predict more significant interactions in the future between bacterial communities in the current active layer and mineral weathering bacteria that are typical of permafrost.

The Arctic, particularly the Barents Sea region including Svalbard, has undergone exceptional warming and environmental change throughout the Holocene. This study investigates Holocene relative sea level (RSL) changes in Petuniabukta, northern Billefjorden (Svalbard), using radiocarbon dated whale bones found on uplifted marine terraces as indicators of past shoreline positions. Five new samples from the western side of the bay were integrated with previously published data from the eastern side to reconstruct palaeoshorelines and quantify land emergence driven by glacioisostatic rebound. The two oldest samples, located at 58.1 m a.s.l. and 34.7 m a.s.l., date at 10.3 and 9.1 cal. ka BP respectively, indicate rapid Early Holocene uplift averaging 3 cm/year. Spatial analysis based on ArcticDEM and high-resolution UAV-derived models reveals a 33% reduction in the marine area since the Early Holocene, with significant changes occurring in broad glaciated valley regions. Discrepancies in RSL trends may be attributed to local tectonic activity along the Billefjorden Fault Zone. While Early Holocene changes are well constrained, Late Holocene and Neoglacial sea-level dynamics remain ambiguous due to a lack of preserved indicators and minimal RSL variation. These findings highlight the potential of stranded whale bones as precise RSL markers and contribute to understanding the long-term cryospheric and geomorphic evolution of coastal areas in a rapidly warming Arctic.

The proglacial landscapes of Antarctica offer critical insights into past and ongoing deglaciation processes and the impacts of climate change. This study presents the first geomorphological map of the proglacial part of Stansbury Peninsula (Rip Point) and Cariz Cabo Cape in the northern part of Nelson Island. We identify and characterise a variety of glacial, proglacial, paraglacial, and periglacial landforms using high-resolution drone imagery, fieldwork, and geological data. The defined landforms presented reflect a complex interplay of erosional and depositional processes shaped by multiple glacial advance-retreat cycles since the Last Glacial Maximum, with evidence for significant glacial activity during the Holocene. The presence of hyaloclastite and crystalline erratic boulders further contributes to the reconstruction of glacial dynamics in the region. Our findings provide a crucial dataset and baseline for studies on future Antarctic deglaciation, periglacial processes, and the expansion of proglacial landscapes driven by ongoing climate change.

Accelerated glacier mass loss across the Antarctic Peninsula has consequences for sea level rise and local ecology. However, there are few direct glaciological observations available from this region. Here, we reveal glacier changes on the James Ross Archipelago between 2010 and 2023. The median rate of glacier area loss (remote-sensing derived) increased over the study period, with the most significant changes observed in smaller glaciers. In situ measurements show that ablation has prevailed since 2019/20 with the most negative point surface mass balance change measured as -1.39 +/- 0.12 m water equivalent at Davies Dome and Lookalike Glacier in 2022/23 (200-300 m a.s.l.). We identified a tripling of the frontal velocity of Kotick Glacier in 2015, which, combined with terminus surface elevation gains (bulging), suggests that this is the first surge-type glacier identified in Antarctica from velocity and surface elevation change observations. We contend that the glacier recession rate has increased due to increased air temperatures (0.24 +/- 0.08 degrees C yr-1, 2010-23), decreased albedo and glacier elevation change feedbacks. These processes could decrease glacier longevity on the archipelago. Future research should prioritise monitoring albedo and rising equilibrium-line altitudes and identify glaciers most vulnerable to rapid future mass loss.

South Shetland Islands (western Antarctica) host widespread magmatism through the Meso-Cenozoic as a result of the subduction of the Phoenix plate along the South Shetland trench. With the logistical support of the Czech Antarctic Research Center and in-kind assistance from TÜBİTAK MAM Polar Research Institute, geological fieldwork was conducted on the Fildes Peninsula in order to understand the magma evolution beneath western Antarctica. This study presents preliminary results from field, petrographic and geochemical studies obtained from the volcanic and intrusive rocks in Fildes Peninsula- King George Island.Fildes Peninsula represents the southwestern parts of King George Island which is located at the northeastern tip of the South Shetland Islands. The dominant lithologies in the study area are Paleocene- Eocene volcanic and intrusive rocks, with a minor presence of sedimentary rocks. The volcanic rocks cropping out on Fildes Peninsula are referred to as the Jasper Hill, Agate Beach, Block Hill and Long Hill formations. They mostly display similar compositions changing from basalt to basaltic andesite lavas and accompanied by pyroclastic rocks (tuffs and volcanic breccias). Intrusive rocks are composed of gabbro-micro gabbro stocks and diabase dykes. Petrographic investigations show that volcanic and intrusive rocks in the area mostly display disequilibrium textures such as sieve textures and embayments in plagioclase and pyroxenes, patchy and oscillatory zoning in different generations of plagioclases. Geochemically, all volcanic rocks show similar characteristics; they are represented by basic rocks that mostly display tholeiitic affinity. Their MgO and SiO2contents range from 3.04 to 6.18 and 44.80 to 48,47wt. %, respectively. The samples are slightly enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) compared to N-MORB and they display depletions in Nb and Ti elements which are the typical indicators of subduction zone magmatism. All volcanic rocks display low Y and high Sr/Y contents which are typical for adakites. These adakites are specifically represented by “low-silica adakites” due to their low SiO2 (

Land cover information is essential for understanding Earth surface processes and ecosystems. Here, we use K-means clustering to classify Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images covering six proglacial sites of sub-Antarctic islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, and the McMurdo Dry Valleys at 30-m resolution. We quantify spatial patterns of water, bedrock, vegetation, and sediments to an accuracy of 77 percent. Vegetation is most abundant on South Georgia (7 percent of the proglacial area) and the South Shetland Islands (1 to 2 percent). Furthermore, we use change vector analysis (CVA) to discriminate landcover change in the twenty-first century. A latitudinal pattern is evident in ice loss and proglacial landscape change; for example, loss of ice on South Georgia and proglacial landcover change is two orders of magnitude greater than in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Four of the studied sites had similar landscape stability (64 to 68 percent unchanged), with Alexander Island an exception (50 percent change) due to recent enhanced glacier melt. Overall, we show how landcover of proglacial regions of the climaticallysensitive sub-Antarctic and Antarctica has changed since 2000, with a CVA accuracy of 80 percent. These findings inform understanding of geomorphological activity and sediment and nutrient fluxes and hence terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Palaeoecological reconstructions in the Carpathians have primarily focused on the western and south-eastern mountain ranges, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the central region along the SlovakUkrainian borders. This study investigated Lake Morske oko (Vihorlat Mts., Eastern Slovakia), whose origin has been debated. Using a multiproxy approach that combines hydro-acoustic surveys, sedimentological analysis, biomarker-based organic geochemistry, and pollen analysis, we confirm that the lake formed when a landslide from the eastern slopes of Motrogon and Jedlinka hills dammed the Okna valley shortly before 2780 cal a BP, coinciding with a documented wet period across Europe. Our record reveals a remarkably stable lake system that evolved from being dominated by terrestrial organic input to enhanced in-lake production after 1850 cal a BP. Our quantitative temperature and humidity reconstructions, the first in the region, capture major climatic episodes, including the end of the "2.8 ka event", Roman Warm Period, and Mediaeval Climate Anomaly, during which there was likely increased lake water thermal stratification or reduced connectivity with the catchment. The Little Ice Age period is marked by temperature fluctuations corresponding to the Maunder and Dalton minima. Human influence becomes evident from 1100 and 700 cal a BP through increased Cerealia-type pollen and atmospheric lead deposition from regional mining activities. This study provides a continuous, well-dated Late Holocene palaeoenvironmental record spanning nearly 3000 years from this region of the Carpathians, bridging a crucial gap between western and eastern records while definitively confirming the lake's origin from a landslide.

Antarctica provides a unique environment for studying human adaptability, characterized by controlled conditions, limited sensory stimulation, and significant challenges in logistics and communication. This longitudinal study investigates the relationship between stress indicators, with a specific focus on mean sleep heart rate, during a COVID-19 quarantine and subsequent 83 days long summer Antarctic expedition at the J. G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station. Our novel approach includes daily recordings of sleep heart rate and weekly assessments of emotions, stress, and sleep quality. Associations between variables were analyzed using the generalized least squares method, providing unique insights into nuances of adaptation. The results support previous findings by providing empirical evidence on the stress reducing effect of Antarctic summer expedition and highlight the importance of previous experience and positive emotions, with the novel contribution of utilizing physiological data in addition to psychological measures. High-frequency sampling and combination of psychological and physiological data addresses a crucial gap in the research of stress. This study contributes valuable knowledge to the field of psychophysiology and has implications for expedition planners, research organizations, teams in action settings, pandemic prevention protocols, global crises, and long-duration spaceflight missions. Comprehensive insights promote the well-being and success of individuals in extreme conditions.

Microbial communities in the active layer play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of Antarctic pristine ecosystems. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to investigate bacterial communities in active layer of five different geological sites related to the compositional variation of the geological bedrock, including Neogene volcanic or Cretaceous rocks and or marine sediments areas of distinct elevation. Local variations in the thickness of the active layer (50–80 cm) were observed on the Ulu Peninsula, James Ross Island, and the southwest coast of Vega Island, Antarctica during sampling in 2019. High bacterial diversity was detected in all sampling sites. Significant site effects on bacterial composition with increased Chloroflexota and decreased Flavobacteriaceae were only observed between the highest elevation Johnson Mesa 2 plateau and coastal areas. The overall effect of the depth was reflected by the increased of e.g., Cyanobacteria , Propionibacterium , Staphylococcus in the upper surface and Chloroflexota , Acidobacteriota , Actinomycetota at depths below 30 cm. The huge number of unassigned bacteria indicated a potential source of new bacterial species and their ecological role in this extreme environment. For the first time, we showed that the effect of depth on bacterial composition was more significant than the effect of geological bedrock from these previously unexplored regions.

The knowledge of dynamics and retreat patterns of marine-based ice streams under multiple stressors are of foremost importance for predicting Antarctic Ice Sheet response to climate changes. The Holocene palaeoglaciological record of former ice streams draining the northeast Antarctic Peninsula can elucidate the influences of changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation and sea-level oscillations on the ice thinning and grounding line retreat. Here, terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating of erratic boulders across the James Ross Island group sheds light on the pattern and timing of the ice recession along the two main arteries of the palaeo-ice drainage: Croft Trough and Prince Gustav Channel. The approach of using paired 10Be-26Al nuclides enabled an assessment of cosmogenic isotope inheritance and complex burial-exposure history, notably on the high-altitude volcanic mesas. The TCN ages suggest that the Prince Gustav Channel Ice Stream was thinning from at least ∼12 ka, with subsequent separation of the Antarctic Peninsula and James Ross Island ice masses by 10–8 ka. The transition from grounded ice to open marine conditions in the Croft Trough occurred rapidly at 8.6–7.2 ka, following the Early Holocene Warm Period, concomitant with eustatic and relative sea-level rise and incursions of warmer circumpolar waters. Grounding line retreat was possibly further accelerated by buoyancy response of thinning ice stream to low-gradient bed topography. The lessons of rapid deglaciation of James Ross Island palaeo-ice streams may provide analogues for recent or future intensification of pressures on Antarctic glaciers.

Central European mountains, including the Sumava Mountains located along the Czechia/Germany border, have a long and rich anthropogenic history. Yet, documenting prehistoric human impact in Central European mountain environments remains a challenge because of the need to disentangle climate and human-caused responses in terrestrial systems. Here, we present the first reconstructed water table depths (WTDs) from two sites, Pekna and Blatenska slat, located in the Sumava Mountains. We compare these local WTD records with new and published pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), plant macrofossils, geochemistry and archeological records to investigate how changes in local hydrology and human activities impacted forest succession and fire activity throughout the Holocene across an elevational gradient. Using a generalized additive model, our results suggest that changes in forest succession and fire activity have been primarily caused by climate throughout the Holocene. However, humans have been utilizing mountain environments and their resources continuously since similar to 4600 cal yr BP, thus playing a secondary role in modifying forest succession to increase resources beneficial to both humans and grazers. Over the last 1000 years, we provide evidence of directly observed human-caused modifications to the landscape. These results contribute to a growing body of literature illustrating human activities and landscape modifications in Central European mountains.

Aeolian dunes in the Moravian Sahara developed during at least two distinct cold periods of the Last Glacial Period (LGP). Their two-phase development was previously deduced solely from the different orientations of dune crests without knowing the dunes' internal structure. Therefore, the aim of this study is to reveal the internal structure of the multi-generational dune system, developing a relationship between these dunes and bedrock. A combination of data was obtained from boreholes and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). GPR profiles were measured in places where the boreholes were drilled to obtain high-resolution combination data. Furthermore, models of aeolian sediment thickness and ground-water level were made using a spatial interpolation method (ordinary kriging with spherical semivariogram model) to interpret the GPR results and to investigate a relationship between the bedrock and dune patterns. Internal dune structures confirm the hypothesis of multi-generational development of this dune field. In addition, the aeolian sediment distribution was influenced by the bedrock topography. Finally, this study confirms that a change in LGP atmospheric circulation over Central Europe is the main controlling factor in forming the Moravian Sahara dune field.

The southern margins of the northern European loess belt on the foothills of Eastern Sudetes Mountains are less explored sedimentation zones. This study provides new data about the development of aeolian silty -sandy sediments overlying the glaciofluvial succession on the rugged topography near the village of Kolnovice. The Kolnovice sand quarry (360 x 200 m), which lies at the margin of the upland plateau, is the only active -mined outcrop on the foothills of the Eastern Sudetes and is large enough to study Pleistocene (peri-)glacial sediments. To examine the origin of these sediments, we applied lithofacies analysis (both macro -description of outcrop walls and micromorphological study of thin sections) and surface analysis of quartz grains. Periglacial structures have been identified within the sediments, allowing us to further interpret the post -sedimentary evolution of the sedimentary succession. The studied sediments resulted from colluvial redeposition of aeolian sediments, which was controlled particularly by the topography, glaciofluvial substrate, and climatic conditions. The underlying glaciofluvial sediments are the most crucial source of the studied sediments, although the fine-grained material could have been transported from more distant areas.

The termini of Icelandic glaciers are highly dynamic environments. Pronounced changes in frontal ablation in recent years have consequently changed ice dynamics. In this study, we reveal the inter-seasonal dynamics of the Kviarjokull ablation zone and proglacial zone using ArcticDEM and Sentinel-2 images acquired between 2011 and 2021 and intra-seasonal dynamics with repeated UAV surveys during summer 2021. Average glacier surface velocity in the ablation zone ranged from 51 m year-1 in 2015 up to 199 m year-1 in 2018, with maxima within the axial zone of the glacier and minima on the glacier edges. Coincidentally, and in accordance with glacier retreat/advance, the ice-marginal proglacial lake fluctuated in its area, and we interpret that it was also a key factor in the development of the glacier terminus morphology. A complex spatial pattern of glacier surface elevation changes, including thickening in the frontal true left margin of the terminus, is interpreted to be due to variable subglacial topography, relatively fast ice flow from the accumulation zone and an insulating effect of glacier surface debris cover. In contrast, the true right (southern) part of the glacier terminus experienced thinning and retreat/disintegration also during the 2021 summer season, which we attribute to enhanced frontal ablation connected to the intrusion of lake water into the crevassed glacier terminus. Overall, this study suggests that where glaciers are developing ice-marginal lakes complex patterns of glacier dynamics and mass loss can be expected, which will confound understanding of the short-term evolution of these environments. Interaction of ice-contact lake and a glacier terminus is described in a highly dynamic Icelandic glacier. We identified main factors controlling development of the glacier terminus: variable subglacial topography, fast ice flow and debris cover insulating effect. Complex pattern of glacier dynamics is also attributed to enhanced frontal ablation connected to the intrusion of lake water into the crevassed glacier terminus. image

Lentic waterbodies provide terrestrial sedimentary archives of palaeoenvironmental change in deglaciated areas of the Antarctic. Knowledge of the long-term evolution of Antarctic palaeoenvironments affords important context to the current marked impacts of climate change in the Polar regions. Here, we present a comprehensively dated, multi-proxy sedimentary record from Monolith Lake, a distal proglacial lake in one of the largest ice-free areas of the Antarctic Peninsula region. Of the two defined sedimentary units in the cores studied, the lower Unit 1 exhibits a homogeneous composition and unvarying proxy data profiles, suggesting rapid clastic deposition under uniform, ice-proximal conditions with a sedimentation rate of -1 mm yr(-1). C-14 and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating bracket the deposition interval to 1.5-2.5 ka BP, with the older age being more probable when compared to independent dating of the local deglaciation. The uppermost 11 cm of the record spans the last -2.2 ka BP (maximum age), suggesting a markedly decreased sedimentation rate of -0.05 mm yr(-1) within Unit 2. Whereas Unit 1 shows only scarce evidence of biological activity, Unit 2 provides an uninterrupted record of diatoms (with 29 species recorded) and faunal subfossils, including the fairy shrimp Branchinecta gaini. Concentrations of organically-derived elements, as well as diatoms and faunal remains, are consistent, implying a gradual increase in lake productivity. These results provide an example of long-term Antarctic 'greening' (i.e. increasing organic productivity in terrestrial habitats) from a palaeolimnological perspective. The boundary between Units 1 and 2, therefore, marks the timing of local deglaciation at the final stages of a period of negative glacier mass balance, i.e. the Mid-Late Holocene Hypsithermal. Subsequent Neoglacial cooling is evidenced by the abated influence of glacial meltwater streams and turbidity decline linked to reduced glacier runoff, although most proxy responses mirror the natural proglacial lake ontogeny.

The Moravian Sahara dune field located in southeastern Czechia represents a unique aeolian system preserving the Late Glacial environment. Until now, the main focus has been concentrated on defining its multigenerational development and examining the environmental factors controlling its formation. However, current studies have failed to bring robust chronologies, so environmental and temporal comparisons with the main aeolian phases in Europe could not be made. Here, we present a study combining chronological and environmental interpretations. To do so, four boreholes were drilled to obtain the samples for optically stimulated luminescence, quartz grain morphoscopy and sediment maturity estimation. The results show that the Moravian Sahara dune field developed episodically between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Younger Dryas, with the peak occurring during the Oldest Dryas. Quartz grain analysis revealed that the phases of wind-blown sand deposition were short and that the dune sediments had three different sources. Furthermore, it appears that the katabatic winds propagated to the study area during the LGM and Late Pleniglacial and were replaced by westerlies since the Oldest Dryas. Finally, the chronology of aeolian activity in the study area shows that Moravian Sahara dune field development was antecedent to the European Sand Belt and shares more similarities with the landforms in the Carpathian Basin located further south.

Proglacial regions are enlarging across the Antarctic Peninsula as glaciers recede in a warming climate. However, despite the increasing importance of proglacial regions as sediment sources within cold environments, very few studies have considered fluvial sediment dynamics in polar settings and spatio-temporal variability in sediment delivery to the oceans has yet to be unravelled. In this study, we show how air temperature, precipitation, and ground conditions combine to control sediment loads in two catchments on James Ross Island, Antarctica. We estimate that the sediment load for the Bohemian Stream and Algal Stream over the 50 day study period, the average sediment load was 1.18 ± 0.63 t km-2 d-1 and 1.73 ± 1.02 t km-2 d-1 , respectively. Both catchments show some sensitivity to changes in precipitation and air temperature, but the Algal catchment also shows some sensitivity to active layer thaw. The downstream changes in sediment provenance are controlled by underlying lithology, while differences in sediment load peaks between the two catchments appear to be primarily due to differing glacier and snowfield coverage. This identification of the controls on sediment load in this sub-polar environment provides insight into how other fluvial systems across the Antarctic Peninsula could respond as glaciers recede in a warming climate.

Temperate forests in the Northern Hemisphere are strongly affected by increasing annual temperatures and natural disturbances such as droughts, fires, and pest outbreaks. In many regions, alternatives are explored by the forestry industry for previously commercialized tree species which are rapidly declining in areas outside their optimal climatic niches. However, as the current ranges of tree species have been mainly constrained by human activity, their true climatic and ecological niches are likely different from our observations. For example, little is known about environmental niches and population dynamics of tree species with limited dispersal ability, such as silver fir (Abies alba). Long-term (paleo) records of past landscape composition, past climate, and past disturbances can help to reveal the natural environmental niches of tree species. This study focuses on the Bohemian Forest (Sumava) in Czechia, where the human alteration of forests in higher elevations (>1000 m asl) has only been demonstrated from Medieval times onward. We present an interdisciplinary approach of geochemistry, pollen, charcoal, botanical and insect macro remains from a high-elevation peat record for the last seven millennia. Our multi-proxy study aimed to identify episodes of increased fire and other disturbances such as insect outbreaks, which could have influenced forest dynamics and vegetation succession in this montane region. However, the charcoal and macro-fossil records do not indicate any large local fires, insect outbreaks, browsing, or other disturbances (e.g., anthropogenic) for a major part of the record, suggesting that changes in the vegetation after 6500 cal yr BP were mainly caused by climatic fluctuations. Silver fir (Abies alba) expanded from 4300 cal yr BP, and likely became the dominant tree species at this locality for the next 2000 years, with extremely high pollen values up to 60%. During the establishment of silver fir around the peat bog around 5600 cal yr BP and its expansion around 4300 cal yr BP, the geochemical record and low counts of the testate amoeba Archerella flavum indicate drier conditions on the peat bog. Comparison with climatic simulations on a 1 x 1-km scale from the CHELSA database suggests that the local expansion of silver fir possibly coincided with a decrease in precipitation during both the wettest and warmest quarter of the year, related to a decreasing trend in seasonality of annual precipitation; this might confirm the species' higher tolerance to drought. Although silver fir is currently extremely rare in the Bohemian Forest, it has the potential for local expansion if logging, fire, and game browsing are kept to a minimum.