Vegetation diversity of abandoned settlements

In my bachelor thesis I am concerned with influence of abandoned settlement and historical land use on vegetation. I am interested in settlements of different age and type - from ancient settlements, medieval castles and villages to villages that were abandoned in modern times. I am also concerned in diversity, composition and development of plant communities and with influence on soils. I am also interested in the question of persistence of anthropogenic influence on landscape. Settlement and land use largely influence landscape. They alter diversity of vegetation, quality of soil and relief of landscape. These changes can be lasting or maybe irreversible. Nutrients are acumulated and pH is risen in abandoned settlements. Nitrophilous and ruderal species are also much more frequent than in ancient forests around. Human can enrich diversity of vegetation in landscape by his influence. Mutual comparison of influence between similar types of settlements in landscapes with different climate and sub-soil may be another direction in future research. Key words: abandoned settlements, medieval castles, villages, diversity, vegetation, secondary forest, historical land use, nutrients, p