Head of the laboratory: RNDr. Jan Altman, Ph.D.

The lab was founded in 2008. The current focus is especially on these topics:

• reconstruction of tropical cyclone activity
• impact of climate change on forest growth
• detection of forest disturbances
• forest dynamics
• forest management

Study areas

Research conducted in the lab takes place mainly across various forest biomes, from tropical to boreal zone. Although we also perform research in Europe, the main study are, however, are in Asia and America. Specifically, in east Asia, we have already a long-term tradition of research focusing on forests of South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, while more recent study sites are in east China, Vietnam, and Far East. Similarly, we also focus on forest in America, mainly in south and east USA, southeast Canada, and Mexico. Important research locations are also the Himalayas and Cameroon. Most recently, we also cooperate on interdisciplinary project in in Senegal.

Here is the list of recent fieldwork expedition destinations of lab members: Canada (2022, 2025), Senegal (2025), China (2025), Vietnam (2024), South Korea (2006, 2007, 2009-2012, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024), Taiwan (2019, 2023, 2024, 2025), Mexico (2023), USA (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), Kuril Islands (2019), Japan (2017, 2019), Nepal (2018), Russian Far East (2016, 2018, 2029), Canary Islands (2018), Cameroon (2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2025), Indian Himalayas (2009, 2010, 2012-2025), Mongolia (2015), Svalbard (2013).

Facility

The lab has modern equipment for sample collection, basic tree-ring width measurement as well as more developed density measurement, anatomical analyses, and full sample preparation for isotope analyses. Here is the list of the major equipment:

• more than 50 increment borers of different lengths (20-100 cm) and diamaters (4-12mm)
• SmartBorer and SmartSockets for effective sampling
• Resistograph
• core, lab, and semiautomatic microtomes for sample preparation
• several binocular microscopes
• system for performing fluorescence microscopy with green, red, and ultraviolet filters
• three Lintab measuring systems with TSAP software
• TimeTable measuring systems with Past 5 software
• Dendrocut – twin blade saw for sample preparation for densitometric analysis
• densitometer Tree Ring Scanner (Model QTRS-01X)

Cooperators

The lab has established cooperation with researchers all over the world and we are open to cooperate with people in any aspect of dendrochronology and forest ecology as well as interdisciplinary research where our skills may be useful. Currently, the most active cooperation is with scientists from the following countries: Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA, and Vietnam.

Projects

Running

• 2026-2029: principal investigator of HURFOR – Hurricanes and Forests: A Long-Term Perspective on Disturbance and Recovery funded by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (LUAUS26250)
• 2026-2027: principal investigator of Reconciling dendrochronological, sedimentological, and instrumental climate records
• 2025-2027: Can poleward migration of tropical cyclones boost temperate forest expansion to compensate for the warming-induced decline of southern boreal forests?

Finished

• 2024-2025: Historical typhoon variability: Answers from dendrochronological and lacustrine archives
• 2023-2025: Tropical cyclone activity, drivers, and impact on forest ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales
• 2023-2025: Temperate lowland woodlands in transition: How succession, climate change, exotic organisms, and management affect different trophic levels?
• 2020-2022: Long-term variability in tropical cyclone activity and their impact on forest ecosystems across East Asia
• 2019-2022: Large-scale reconstruction of long-term changes in hurricane activity and their impact on forest ecosystems in USA
• 2018-2019: Reconstruction of long-term changes in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones in Northeast Asia
• 2017-2019: Spatiotemporal reconstruction of tropical cyclones and their impact on the forest structure and diversity in Northeast Asia
• 2017-2019: Dendrochronological research for The Silva Gabreta Project – transboundary cooperation in the monitoring of biodiversity and water regime
• 2014-2016: Effects of changing growth conditions on tree increment, stand production and vitality – danger or opportunity for Central- European forestry?
• 2012-2015: Saproxylic diversity in space and time: Form landscape history to community ecology and habitat modelling
• 2009-2012: Vegetation structure and dynamic along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients in forests of South Korea
• 2005-2007: Plant communities of the Korean Peninsula: the first vegetation synthesis of less known area 

Selected lab members publications since 2018

(team members in bold)

Chen Z., Zhao B., Song W., Linderholm H. W., Altman J., Zhang K., Dong H., Huang X., Chen H. & Wang X. (2026) Larix gmelinii growth limitation shifts from nitrogen availability to drought under warming and permafrost degradation. Global and Planetary Change 260: 105395.

Wang C., Fang K., Zhou F., Gao J., Rossi S., Liu J., Dong Z., Azorin-Molina C., Lin S., Camarero J.J., Wu P., Wu H., Linderholm H.W., Mei Z. & Altman J. (2025) Enhanced tropical cyclone precipitation variability is linked to Pacific Decadal Oscillation since the 1940s. Communications Earth & Environment 6: 1043.

Brienen R.J.W., Locosselli G.M., Krottenthaler S., Gloor E., Wrigley R., Voelker S.L., Altman J., Altmanova N., Anderegg L.D.L., Baliva M., Barua D., Bazant V., Black B., Brown P.M., Ceccantini G., DeRose R.J., Villanueva Diaz J., Di Filippo A., Dolezal J., Duchesne L., Earle C., Fibich P., Griesbauer H., Helama S., Klesse S., Korznikov K., Lindenmayer D., Liu S., Lopez, L., Mencuccini, M., Nagel, T.A., Pavlin, J., Pederson, N., Piovesan, G., Restaino, C., Reich P.B., Sauchyn D., Schöngart J., Shaw J.D., Smith D., Sunny R., Svoboda M., Villalba R., Wood L.J. & Zhang C. (2025) Contrasting pathways to tree longevity in gymnosperms and angiosperms. Nature Communications 17: 898.

Korznikov K., Kislov D., Doležal J. & Altman J. (2025) Hidden forest loss: challenges in detecting wind- and insect-driven forest disturbances with global forest change landsat-based products in mixed southern boreal forests. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment 40: 101798.

Korznikov K., Kislov D., Doležal J. & Altman J. (2025) Climate-linked cascading disturbances drive conifer forest decline in a boreal–temperate ecotone: evidence from Kunashir Island (Northwest Pacific). Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research cpaf078 .

Korznikov K., Petrenko T., Dzizyurova V., Kislov D., Doležal J., & Altman J. (2025) Unprecedented tropical cyclone in temperate-boreal ecotone drives declines in emergent conifers and canopy complexity. Ecology 106: e70261.

Wang Y., Liesche J., Crivellaro A., Doležal J., Altman J., Chiatante D., Dimitrova A., Fan Z., Fu P., Forest F., Gričar J., Heuret P., Isnard S., Maurin O., Montagnoli A., Rathgeber C. B. K., Tsedensodnom E., Trueba S., & Salmon Y. (2025) Physical constraints and environmental factors shape phloem anatomical traits in woody angiosperm species. New Phytologist 10: 17.

Tumajer J., Kašpar J., Altman J., Altmanová N., Camarero J.J., Cienciala E., Čada V., Čihák T., Doležal J., Fibich P., Janda P., Kaczka R., Kolář T., Lehejček J., Mašek J., Matula R., Neudertová Hellebrandová K., Plavcová L., Rybníček M., Rydval M., Shetti R., Svoboda M., Šenfeldr M., Šamonil P., Vašíčková I., Vejpustková M. & Treml V. (2025) Longer growing seasons will not offset growth loss in drought-prone temperate forests of Central-Southeast Europe. Nature Communications 16: 9535.

Schönauer M., Pucher C., Altman J., Weißbacher J., Sprengel L., & Rewald B. (2025) Beyond meteorological data: Modelling tree growth with ERA5-Land. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 372: 110679.

Altmanová N., Hrádková M., Návratová E., Pejcha V., Bažant V., Collins-Key S., Doležal J., Druckenbrod D., Enoki T., Fang K., Fibich P., Harley G.L., Hoshizaki K., Ida H., Ishihara M.I., Kagawa A., Korznikov K., Maxwell J., Nakamura M., Noguchi M., Orwig D., Pederson N., Sakai T., Seo J.W., Song J.S., Suzuki S.N., Tucker C. & Altman J. (2025) Enhancing tree-ring visibility: A comparative study of sample and imaging techniques for 62 temperate tree species. Dendrochronologia 93: 126392.

Treml V., Tumajer J., Oulehle F., Altman J., Doležal J., Vejpustková M., Rydval M., Altmanová N., Brůha L., Čada V., Fibich P., Kaczka R., Kašpar J., Kolář T., Krejza J., Mašek J., Mikhailov S., Šamonil P., Rybníček M., Stojanović M., Svoboda J., Svoboda M. & Vašíčková I. (2025) Rapid trend towards larger and more moisture-limited trees in Central-European temperate forests. Environmental Research Letters 20(8): 084033.

Crespo-Antia J. P., Gazol A., González de Andrés E., Valeriano C., Rubio-Cuadrado Á., Altman J., Doležal J., Linares J. C. & Camarero J. J. (2025) Contrasting Drought Sensitivity in Silver Fir and Scots Pine Revealed Through Growth and Wood Density Data. Forests 16(6): 921.

Altman J., Altmanova N., Fibich P., Korznikov K., & Fonti P. (2025) Advancing dendrochronology with R: an overview of packages and future perspectives. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 13, 1593675.

Jandova V., Altman J., Sehadova H., Macek M., Fibich P., Ruka A. T. & Dolezal J. (2025) Climate warming promotes growth in Himalayan alpine cushion plants but threatens survival through increased extreme snowfall. New Phytologist: 247, 115–127.

Altman J. & Korznikov K. (2025) Could tropical cyclone expansion boost migration of temperate trees to boreal forests? WIREs Climate Change 16: e70006.

Šantrůček J., Kubásek J., Janová J., Šantrůčková H., Altman J., Tumajer J., Hrádková M. & Cienciala E. (2025) Response of leaf internal CO2 concentration and intrinsic water-use efficiency in Norway spruce to century-long gradual CO2 elevation. Photosynthetica 63: 51-63.

Jiang F.,…, Altman J., …Dolezal J., …, & Wang Z. (2025) Mycorrhizal symbioses and tree diversity in global forest communities. Science Advances 11(24): eadt5743.

Altmanová N., Fibich P., Doležal J., Bažant V., Černý T., Molina J.G.A., Enoki T., Hara T., Hoshizaki K., Ida H., Janda P., Kagawa A., Kopecký M., Korznikov K.A., Krestov P.V., Kubota Y., Lanta V., Macek M., Mejstřík M., Nakamura M., Noguchi M., Omelko A.M., Petřík P., Sakai T., Song J.S., Suzuki S. N., Svoboda M., Šrůtek M., Treydte K., Ukhvatkina O.N., Ulbrichová I., Vozmishcheva A.S., Wang X. & Altman J. (2025) Spatial heterogeneity of tree-growth responses to climate across temperate forests in Northeast Asia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 362: 110355.

Plavcová L., Tumajer J., Altman J., Svoboda M., Stegehuis A. I., Pejcha V. & Doležal J. (2025) High inter-specific diversity and seasonality of trunk radial growth in trees along an Afrotropical elevational gradient. Plant, Cell & Environment 48: 2285-2297.

Samraoui K. R., Klimeš A., Jandová V., Altmanová N., Altman J., Dvorský M., Lanta V., Řeháková K., Ruka A. T., Fibich P., Liancourt P. and Doležal J. (2025) Trade-Offs Between Growth, Longevity, and Storage Carbohydrates in Herbs and Shrubs: Evidence for Active Carbon Allocation Strategies. Plant, Cell & Environment: 48, 4505–4517.

Vobejda L., Šálková T., Erban Kochergina Y.V., Altman J. & Thomová Z. (2024) Insight into the changes of European agriculture during the age of Baroque and enlightenment: Interdisciplinary survey of manor farmyard Švamberk (Czech Republic). Heliyon 10: e40916.

Petrenko T., Dzizyurova V., Altman J., Doležal J., Kislov D. & Korznikov K. (2024) Changes in Distribution Ranges of Abies Species Dominating in the Forests of Northeast Asia Since the Last Glacial Maximum. Journal of Biogeography 52:599–620.

Molina J.G.A., Saurer M., Maredova N., Treydte K., Dolezal J., Song J.S. & Altman J. (2024). Recent warming and increasing CO2 stimulate growth of dominant trees under no water limitation in South Korea. Tree Physiology 44: tpae103.

Sohar K., Altman J., Kopecký M., Pejcha V., Rai S., Fibich P. & Doležal J. (2024). Elevational variations in climate warming impacts on West Himalayan fir growth. Climate Dynamics, 1-14.

Korznikov K. & Altman J. (2024) Pitfalls of forest damage detection using medium-resolution imagery: A response to the paper of Karpov et al. (2024). Forest Ecology and Management 569: 122073.

Molina J.G.A., Altman J., Rai S., Korznikov K., Pejcha V., Dvorsky M. & Doležal J. (2024). Climate drivers of Pinus ponderosa tree development on volcanic tephra deposits in the Southwestern USA: Insights from radial increment and wood density variations. Dendrochronologia 88: 126242.

Rai S., Breme N., Jandova V., Lanta V., Altman J., Ruka, A. T., Rixen C. & Dolezal J. (2024). Growth dynamics and climate sensitivities in alpine cushion plants: insights from Silene acaulis in the Swiss Alps. Alpine Botany, 1-11.

Dolezal J., Fibich P., Altman J., Takahashi K., & Hara T. (2024). Diversity effects and compensatory dynamics drive productivity and stability in temperate old‐growth forests. Journal of Ecology, 112, 2249–2263.

Plavcová L., Jandová V., Altman J., Liancourt P., Korznikov K. & Doležal J. (2024) Variations in wood anatomy in Afrotropical trees with a particular emphasis on radial and axial parenchyma. Annals of Botany, 134, 151-162.

Bose A. K., Doležal J., Scherrer D., Altman J., Ziche D., Martínez-Sancho E., Bigler C., Bolte A., Colangelo M., Dorado-Liñán I., Drobyshev I., Etzold S., Fonti P., Gessler A., Kolář T., Koňasová E., Korznikov K. A., Lebourgeois F., Lucas-Borja M. E., Menzel A., Neuwirth B., Nicolas M., Omelko A. M., Pederson N., Petritan A. M., Rigling A., Rybníček M., Scharnweber T., Schröder J., Silla F., Sochová I., Sohar K., Ukhvatkina O. N., Vozmishcheva A. S., Zweifel R. & Camarero J. J. (2024) Revealing legacy effects of extreme droughts on tree growth of oaks across the Northern Hemisphere. Science of The Total Environment, 926, 172049.

Altman J., Fibich P., Trotsiuk V. & Altmanova N. (2024) Global pattern of forest disturbances and its shift under climate change. Science of The Total Environment, 915, 170117.

Thakur D., Altman J., Jandová V., Fibich P., Münzbergová Z. & Doležal J. (2024) Global warming alters Himalayan alpine shrub growth dynamics and climate sensitivity. Science of The Total Environment, 916, 170252.

Korznikov K.A., Altman J., Belyaeva N.G., Dzizyurova V.D., Kislov,D.E., Linnik E.V., Petrenko T.Y. & Krestov P.V. (2024). Boreal to temperate forests transition within Kunashir Island (the Kuril Archipelago): Insights from the novel vegetation map. Botanica Pacifica, 13(1), 37-43.

Kašpar J., Tumajer J., Altman J., Altmanová N., Čada V., Čihák T., Doležal J., Fibich P., Janda P., Kaczka R., Kolář T., Lehejček J., Mašek J., Hellebrandová K.N., Rybníček M., Rydval M., Shetti R., Svoboda M., Šenfeldr M., Šamonil P., Vašíčková I., Vejpustková M. & Treml V. (2024) Major tree species of Central European forests differ in their proportion of positive, negative, and nonstationary growth trends. Global Change Biology, 30, e17146.

Rai S., Altman J., Kopecký M., Pejcha V., Svoboda M., & Doležal J. (2023). Global warming alters Himalayan hemlock’s climate sensitivity and growth dynamics. Climate Dynamics 62: 2333–2347.

Rai S., Altman J., Kopecký M., Sohar K., Fibich P., Pejcha V. & Doležal, J. (2023) Contrasting impacts of climate warming on Himalayan Hemlock growth: Seasonal and elevational variations. Dendrochronologia 82: 126144.

Tumajer J., Altman J. & Lehejček J. (2023) Linkage between growth phenology and climate-growth responses along landscape gradients in boreal forests. Science of the Total Environment 905:167153.

Korznikov K., Kislov D., Petrenko T., Dzizyurova V., Doležal J., Krestov P. & Altman J. (2023) Unveiling the Potential of Drone-Borne Optical Imagery in Forest Ecology: A Study on the Recognition and Mapping of Two Evergreen Coniferous Species. Remote Sensing 15: 4394.

Korznikov K., Kislov D., Doležal J. & Altman J. (2023). Poleward migration of tropical cyclones induced severe disturbance of boreal forest above 50°. Science of the Total Environment 890:164376.

Fibich P., Black B.A., Doležal J., Harley G.L., Maxwell J.T. & Altman J. (2023) Long-term tropical cyclones activity shapes forest structure and reduces tree species diversity of U.S. temperate forests. Science of the Total Environment 884:163852.

Pompa-García M., Altman J., Paéz-Meráz D.S. & Martínez Rivas J.A. (2023) Spatiotemporal variability in disturbance frequency and severity across Mexico: Evidence from conifer tree rings. Forests 14:900.

Grover Z. S., Forrester J.A., Keyser T.L., King J.S. & Altman J. (2023) Growth response, climate sensitivity and carbon storage vary with wood porosity in a southern Appalachian mixed hardwood forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 332: 109358.

Harley G.L., Therrell M.D., Maxwell J.T., Bhuta A., Bregy, J.C., Heeter K.J., Patterson T., Rochner M., Rother M.T., Stambaugh M., Zampieri N.E., Altman J., Collins-Key S.A., Gentry C.M., Guiterman C., Huffman J.M., Johnson D.J., King D.J., Larson E.R., Leland C., NguyenH.T., Pederson N., Puhlick J.J., Rao M.P., Rodriguez-Caton M., Sakulich J.B., Singh N., Tucker C.S., van de Gevel S.L., Kaiser A.L. & Ahmad S. (2023). The Longleaf Tree-Ring Network: Reviewing and expanding the utility of Pinus palustris Mill. Dendrochronological data. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment 47: 570-596.

Liang J., …, Altman J.,…, Doležal J., … & Hui C. (2022) Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients. Nature Ecology and Evolution 6(10): 1423-1437.

Černý T., Doležal J., Petřík P., Šrůtek M., Song J.-S. & Altman J. (2022) Tropical cyclone disturbances induce contrasting impacts on forest structure, plant composition, and soil properties in temperate broadleaf and coniferous forests. Forests 13(7): 1033.

Korznikov K., Kislov D., Doležal J., Petrenko T. & Altman J. (2022) Tropical cyclones moving into boreal forests: Relationships between disturbance areas and environmental drivers. Science of The Total Environment 844: 156931.

Doležal J., Altman J., Jandová V., Chytrý M., Conti L., Méndez-Castro F.E., Klimešová J., Zelený D. & Ottaviani G. (2022). Climate warming and extended droughts drive establishment and growth dynamics in temperate grassland plants. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 313: 108762.

Carter D., Bialecki M.B., Windmuller-Campione M., Seymour R.S., Weiskittel A. & Altman J. (2021) Detecting growth releases of mature retention trees in response to disturbances of known dates in natural-disturbance-based silvicultural systems in Maine. Forest Ecology and Management 502: 119721.

Fibich P., Ishihara M.I., Suzuki S.N., Doležal J. & Altman J. (2021) Contribution of conspecific negative density dependence to species diversity is increasing towards low environmental limitation in Japanese forests. Scientific Reports 11: 18712.

Cuni-Sanchez A., Sullivan M.J.P., Platts P.J., …, Altman J.,…, Doležal J. ,… & Zibera E. (2021) High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests. Nature 596: 536-542.

Tumajer J., Buras A., Camarero J.J., Carrer M., Shetti R., Wilmking M., Altman J., Sangüesa-Barreda G. & Lehejček J. (2021) Growing faster, longer or both? Modelling plastic response of Juniperus communis growth. Global Ecology and Biogeography 30: 2229– 2244.

Collins-Key S. A. & Altman J. (2021) Detecting tropical cyclones from climate- and oscillation-free tree-ring width chronology of longleaf pine in south-central Georgia. Global and Planetary Change 201: 103490.

Miranda J.C., Lehmann M.M., Saurer M., Altman J. & Treydte K. (2021) Insight into Canary Island pine physiology provided by stable isotope patterns of water and plant tissues along an altitudinal gradient. Tree Physiology 9: 1611–1626.

Ukhvatkina O., Omelko A., Kislov D., Zhmerenetsky A., Epifanova T. & Altman J. (2021) Tree-ring based spring precipitation reconstruction in the Sikhote-Alin Mountain Range. Climate of the Past 17: 951–967.

Altman J., Saurer M., Dolezal J., Maredova N., Song J.-S., Ho C.-H. & Treydte K. (2021) Large volcanic eruptions reduce landfalling tropical cyclone activity: Evidence from tree rings. Science of The Total Environment 775: 145899.

Janda P., Ukhvatkina O., Vozmishcheva A., Omelko A., Doležal J., Krestov P., Zhmerenetsky A., Song J.S. & Altman J. (2021) Tree canopy accession strategy changes along the latitudinal gradient of temperate Northeast Asia. Global Ecology and Biogeography 30: 738–748.

Altman J. (2020) Tree-ring-based disturbance reconstruction in interdisciplinary research: Current state and future directions. Dendrochronologia 63: 125733.

Dolezal J., Fibich P., Altman J., Leps J., Uemura S., Takahashi K. & Hara T. (2020) Determinants of ecosystem stability in a diverse temperate forest. Oikos 129: 1692-1703.

Altman J., Treydte K., Pejcha V., Cerny T., Petrik P., Srutek M., Song J.S., Trouet V. & Dolezal J. (2020) Tree growth response to recent warming of two endemic species in Northeast Asia. Climatic Change 162: 1345-1364.

Samusevicha A., Lexa M., Vejpustková M., Altman J. & Zeidler A. (2020) Comparison of methods for the demarcation between earlywood and latewood in tree rings of Norway spruce. Dendrochronologia 60: 125686.

Altman J., Ukhvatkina O., Omelko A., Macek M., Plener T., Pejcha V, Cerny T., Petrik P., Srutek M., Song J.S., Zhmerenetsky A., Vosmishcheva A., Krestov P., Petrenko T., Treydte K. & Dolezal J. (2018) Poleward migration of the destructive effects of tropical cyclones during the 20th century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115: 11543-11548.

Cienciala E., Altman J., Dolezal J., Kopacek J., Stepanek P., Stahl G. & Tumajer J. (2018) Increased spruce tree growth in Central Europe since 1960s. Science of The Total Environment 619-620: 1637-1647.