High winds and the subsequent infestation of subcortical insect are considered to be the most extensive types of large natural disturbances in the Central European forests. In this paper, we focus on the landscape dynamics of two representative mountain areas of Slovakia, which have been affected by aforementioned natural disturbances during last two decades. For example, on 19 November 2004, the bora caused significant damage to more than 126 km² of spruce forests in the Tatra National Park (TANAP). Several wind-related events also affected sites in the National Park Low Tatras (NAPALT). Monitoring of related land cover changes during years 2000–2019 was based on CORINE Land Cover data and methodology set up on satellite and aerial images interpretation, on detailed land cover interpretation (1:10,000) for the local case studies, as well as on the results of field research and forestry databases. The dynamics of forest recovery are different in the clear-cuts (usually with subsequent tree planting) and in the naturally developing forest. The area in the vicinity of Tatranská Lonmnica encroaching on the Studená dolina National Nature Reserve in TANAP represents a trend of the gradual return of young forest. The area of Čertovica on the border between NAPALT and its buffer zone are characterized by an increase in clear-cut sites with potentially increasing soil erosion risk, due to repeated wind disasters and widening of bark beetle. Proposed detailed, large-scale approach is being barely used, when considering recent studies dealing with the natural disturbances.

Picea abies L. Karst is undeniably one of the most important tree species growing in Slovakia. In addition to natural mountain spruce forests, monocultures planted in lower areas are also quite common. In this article, we analyze the climate–growth response differences between these two types of spruce stands in the context of local climate change consequences. The study area representing natural mountain spruce forests is located under Osobitá Mt. (Tatra Mountains, Slovakia), while the analyzed low-lying planted monoculture is situated near Biely kríž (Malé Karpaty Mountains, Slovakia). Temporal variation of the dendroclimatological relationships was expressed by the running Spearman correlation coefficient during the observed period 1961–2018. The results showed crucial differences in the dendroclimatological relationships between the selected study areas. For the natural mountain spruce stand, consistent, weak, and positive correlations to the temperature variables were typical, with negative relationships to precipitation during the growing season. In this case, the negative impact of a recent temperature rise was limited. In contrast, the monoculture reacted to the temperature variation during the growing season with fluctuations, while in the case of precipitation, almost no dependence was found. Such incoherency may be a consequence of worsened health conditions, as well as insufficient resiliency to climate-driven stress. The importance of this paper is in its wide applicability, mainly in forestry.

This study focuses on the development of the landscape during a period of significant social changes in Central Europe from the middle of the 20^th century, and evaluates the impact of the selected natural factors on landscape dynamics in the Snohy dispersed settlement area (cadaster of Hriňová, Slovakia). During the periods of feudalism and the democratic Czechoslovak Republic after 1918, private ownership of land prevailed on the territory of Slovakia. After 1948, in the period of the socialist establishment, the municipality was one of the few localities without collectivisation. We focused on the state and changes to the landscape structure based on remote sensing data analysis (1949, 2003, and 2018), as well as field research and archive photographs inspection. The study area is a part of the proposed Special Area of Conservation SKUEV4026 Meadows of Poľana and is situated near the border between the transition and buffer zones of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The state of land cover and its changes have been evaluated using a CORINE Land Cover modification at the 5^th level. Results showed that the influence of the slope on agricultural extensification, deforestation, and afforestation, was the most pronounced. Since 1949, more than half of the land cover has changed across the study area. The most extensive changes were recorded in the spatial structure and composition of forest communities.

Global Forest Change (GFC) provides a widely accessible tool for monitoring tree cover loss and is frequently used by both professionals and the public in discussions of forest dynamics. However, its reliability in specific regions has not been sufficiently evaluated. We assessed its accuracy in part of Slovakia through visual interpretation of Sentinel 2 imagery conducted independently by three operators. The GFC dataset achieved 95% producer’s accuracy and 78% user’s accuracy in detecting tree cover loss. Therefore, it could slightly overestimate loss in the study area, especially in small patches and edge pixels, as the marginality of pixels explained a large part of the disagreement (AUC = 0.76). However, we could also underestimate the loss during its visual identification, as it proved more challenging than anticipated (average agreement between operators was 85%). To complement this analysis, we compared GFC tree cover loss with official forestry logging records across Slovakia. Both datasets reported similar total areas of loss and largely consistent spatial patterns, with a median difference of 6% in their ratio within forestry mapping units. Nonetheless, we identified regions where GFC reported substantially more loss, potentially reflecting errors in forestry records, as well as regions where forestry records indicated more loss, possibly due to temporal misclassification. Overall, the GFC dataset represents an appropriate source for monitoring tree cover loss in Slovakia, provided that users are aware of its limitations.

Artificial snow is increasingly used in ski resorts to compensate for declining natural snowfall, yet its ecological effects on mountain vegetation remain insufficiently understood. This study examines the impact of artificial snow on plant species composition, species traits, and environmental conditions on ski slopes in Slovakia. A dataset of 60 phytosociological relevés was collected in 2021 and 2022 across 30 ski resorts, using paired plots at topographically homogeneous sites, one on naturally snowed and one on artificially snowed slopes. Analyses showed that species composition was primarily influenced by temperature and light. Overall species composition did not form distinct groups based on snow type, but plots with artificial snow had a higher prevalence of perennial hemicryptophytes, competitive species, and plants with persistent summer green leaves, whereas higher elevation species were more frequent on naturally snowed slopes. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that variance in plant communities’ ecological indicator values is primarily driven by topographic and edaphic factors, while the presence of artificial snow showed no significant effect. Key species traits including life span, life form, strategy type, leaf persistence, and elevational affinity were significantly affected by snow type. These findings demonstrate that artificial snow induces subtle ecological shifts, likely due to its different physical and chemical properties and its effect on snow cover duration. The results provide insights relevant for vegetation management and conservation planning on ski slopes, particularly in protected areas.