Skip to main content

Abstract

The last 10,000 years, the Holocene warm period, were characterized by relatively stable temperature conditions in southwestern Bulgaria, which is documented in the altitude range of the alpine timberline and the variability of glaciers and moraines of the high mountains. The climate of the Modern Time Era (including the Little Ice Age period) can be described in higher resolution by means of the geoarchive Pinus heldreichii. The 500-year dendrology-based reconstruction of the temperature and precipitation course gives indications, although compared to other proxy-data it certainly needs further improvement and crosschecking. The present trends of global warming are clearly detectable in the Pirin region. But the climate change in the twentieth century was not as distinct as in other European regions nor considered global.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alexandrov, V., Genev, M. (2003) Climate variability and change impact on water resources in Bulgaria. European Water, e-bulletin of EWRA: 20–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen JRM, 14 others (1999) Rapid environmental changes in southern Europe during the last glacial period. Nature 400:740–743

    Google Scholar 

  • Blümel WD (2002) 20000 Jahre Klimawandel und Kulturgeschichte – von der Eiszeit in die Gegenwart. In: Wechselwirkungen – Jahrbuch aus Lehre und Forschung der Universität Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Böhm R (2004) Systematische Rekonstruktion von zweieinhalb Jahrhundert instrumentellem Klima in der größeren Alpenregion – ein Statusbericht. In: Gamerith W, Messerli P, Meusburger P, Wanner H (eds) Alpenwelt – Gebirgswelten. Dt. Geographentag Bern 2003, Heidelberg, Bern, pp. 123–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Bozilova E, Tonkov S (2000) Pollen from Lake Sedmo Rilsko reveals southeast European postglacial vegetation in the highest mountain area of the Balkans. New Phytol 148:315–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown RD, Petkova N (2007) Snow cover variability in Bulgarian mountainous regions, 1931–2000. International Journal of Climatology:27(9):1215–1229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bubenzer O, RadtkeU (2007) Natürliche Klimaänderungen im Laufe der Erdgeschichte. In: Endlicher, W., Gerstengarbe, F.-W. (Hrsg.): Der Klimawandel – Einblicke, Rückblicke und Ausblicke. Potsdam, pp 17–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Casty C, Wanner H, Lutherbacher J, Esper J, Böhm R (2005) Temperature and precipitation ­variability in the European Alps since 1500. Int J Climatol 25(14):1855–1880

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chueca J, Julián A, López-Moreno JI (2007) Recent evolution (1981–2005) of the Maladeta ­glaciers, Pyrenees, Spain: extent and volume losses and their relation with climatic and topographic factors. J Glaciol 53(183):547–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagan B (2000) The little ice age. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerstengarbe FW, Werner PC (2007) Der rezente Klimawandel. In: Endlicher W, Gerstengarbe F-W (Hrsg.): Der Klimawandel – Einblicke, Rückblicke und Ausblicke. Potsdam, pp 34–43

    Google Scholar 

  • González Trueba JJ, Martín Moreno R, Martínez de Pisón E, Serrano E (2008) Little Ice Age glaciation and current glaciers in the Iberian Peninsula. Holocene 18:551–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grove AT (2001) The Little Ice Age and its geomorphological consequences in Mediterranean Europe. Clim Change 48:121–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grunewald K, Scheithauer J (2008a) Holocene climate and landscape history of the Pirin Mountains (Southwestern Bulgaria). Managing alpine future. In: Borsdorf A, Stötter J, Veulliet E (eds) Proceedings of the Innsbruck conference, IGF-Forschungsberichte, Band 2, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 15–17 Oct 2007, pp 305–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Grunewald K, Scheithauer J (2008b) Untersuchungen an der alpinen Waldgrenze im Piringebirge (Bulgarien). Geo-Öko 29:1–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Grunewald K, Scheithauer J (2008c) Klima- und Landschaftsgeschichte Südosteuropas. Rekonstruktion anhand von Geoarchiven im Piringebirge (Bulgarien). Beiträge zur Landschaftsforschung, Band 6. Rhombos Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Grunewald K, Scheithauer J, Monget J-M, Brown D (2009) Characterisation of contemporary local climate change in the mountains of southwestern Bulgaria. Clim Change 95(3–4):535–549. doi:10.1007/s10584-008-9508-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grunewald K, Scheithauer J (2010) Europe’s southernmost glaciers: response and adaptation to climate change. J Glaciol 56(195):129–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Haug GH, Gunther D, Peterson LC, Sigman DM, Hughen KA, Aeschlimann B (2003) Climate and the collapse of the Maya civilization. Science 299:1731–1735

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu FS, Slawinski D, Wright HE, Ito E, Johnson RG, Kelts KR, McEwan RF, Boedigheimer A (1999) Abrupt changes in North American climate during early Holocene times. Nature 400:437–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes PD (2007) Recent behaviour of the Debeli Namet glacier, Durmitor, Montenegro. Earth Surf Process Landforms 32:1593–1602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C, Sarris D, Christodoulakis D (2005) Long-term increase in climatic dryness in the ­East-Mediterranean as evidenced for the island of Samos. Reg Environ Change 5:27–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laroque CP, Smith DJ (2003) Radial-growth forecasts for five high elevation conifer species on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. For Ecol Manage 183:313–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayewsky P, Rohling E, Stager J, Karlèn W, Maasch KA, Meeker LD, Meyerson EA, Gasse F, Kreveld SV, Holgren K, Lee-Thorp J, Rosqvist G, Staubwasser M, Rack F, Schneider RR, Steig EJ (2004) Holocene climate variability. Quatern Res 62:243. doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2004.07.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petkova N, Koleva E, Alexandrov V (2004) Snow cover variability and change in mountaineous regions of Bulgaria, 1931–2000. Meteorol Z 13(1):19–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahmstorf S, Schellnhuber HJ (2007) Der Klimawandel. Diagnose, Prognose, Therapie. Beck Verlag, München

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweingruber F (1993) Jahrringe und Umwelt – Dendroökologie. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald. Schnee und Landschaft, Birmensdorf

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefanova I, Bozilova E (1995) Studies on the Holocene history of vegetation in the northern Pirin Mts. (southwestern Bulgaria). Advances in Holocene Paleoecology in Bulgaria. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow, pp 9–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefanova I, Ognjanova-Rumenova N, Hofmann W, Ammann B (2003) Late Glacial and Holocene environmental history of the Pirin Mountains (SW Bulgaria): paleolimnological study of Lake Dalgato. J Paleolimnol 30:95–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todaro L, Andreu L, D’Alessandro CM, Gutirrez E, Cherubinic P, Saracino A (2007) Response of Pinus leucodermis to climate and anthropogenic activity in the National Park of Pollino (Basilicata, Southern Italy). Biol Conserv 137:507–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veit H (2002) Die Alpen – Geoökologie und Landschaftsentwicklung. UTB/Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanner H (2007) Der Klimawandel in historischer Zeit. In: Endlicher W, Gerstengarbe FW (Hrsg.) Der Klimawandel – Einblicke, Rückblicke und Ausblicke. Potsdam, pp 27–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanner H, Beer J, Bütikofer J et al (2008) Mid- to Late Holocene climate change: an overview. Quatern Sci Rev 27(19–20):1791–1828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson R, Frank D, Topham J, Nicolussi K, Esper J (2005) Spatial reconstruction of summer temperatures in Central Europe for the last 500 years using annually resolved proxy records: problems and opportunities. Boreas 34:490–497

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karsten Grunewald .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Grunewald, K., Scheithauer, J. (2011). Specifics of the Regional Climate and Landscape History. In: Landscape Development and Climate Change in Southwest Bulgaria (Pirin Mountains). Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9959-4_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics