The theological turn provokes much debate on the nature of phenomenology but almost none on the definition of theology. I argue, however, that the theological turn not only enlarges the field of ...phenomenological exploration but also provides theology with a conceptual apparatus that can contribute to formulating rigorous theological positions. In the first step, I question the debate dominated by philosophers of religion which created a normative – restrictive – category of the theological turn. Instead, I argue that the full potential of the theological turn in phenomenology will only be revealed when we accept it as a descriptive category – a tendency that has always in fact been present in phenomenology. In the second step, I move towards theology to argue that the phenomenological engagements with the original theological thoughts are less de-theologized than they are transformed and in their new version offered back to theology, for which they can have crucial relevance. Hence, what is truly interesting after the theological turn is not so much the boundary between theology and phenomenology but their mutual and undeniable encounters.
The central question of this paper revolves around the problem of representation. Following Jacques Derrida and his critique of representation, this paper will interconnect two, at first sight ...distinct, topics: Christianity and the world of media. For Derrida, Christianity stands behind our common understanding of representation, whereas the media are the major driving force of any representation today. The central argument of this paper is to unfold this link between Christianity and representation and thus to elaborate on the idea of representation in relation to the end of Christianity announced by Derrida. Firstly, I will review Derrida’s account on the logic of representation. Derrida deems Christianity to be responsible for the logic of representation discernible in today’s media world and offers a devastating critique of the concept. Secondly, I will contextualize Derrida’s approach by pointing out the tension between the modern and postmodern perspectives on representation. Thirdly, I will return to a close reading of Derrida. Fourthly, I will offer a critique of Derrida’s critique and will look further at the possible meanings of ‘the end of Christianity.’
Class Mulgedio-Aconitetea comprises plant communities that develop primarily in the upper montane to subalpine vegetation belts. It is vegetation where tall herb species (forbs, ferns, grasses) occur ...dominantly; in the Balkans, it was studied only marginally. In this article, based on floristic composition we assess two questions: (1) what is the diversity of the class Mulgedio-Aconitetea in Bulgaria and (2) what environmental factors are responsible for the vegetation assemblages in the area? We analyzed 387 plots. We created an expert system that classifies this vegetation and tested environmental variables for their influence on these vegetation types. In total, 15 associations and one uncategorized community were classified using the Braun-Blanquet approach. The length of the growing season (number of growing degree days > 0 °C) and climate moisture have a significant effect on the vegetation. Disturbance severity, disturbance frequency and reaction have influence over the species scores. Moreover, all variables significantly differed between the vegetation types.
•The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems criteria were applied at the national scale.•157 types of natural and semi-natural habitats of the Czech Republic were assessed.•Two habitats were Collapsed, 14 ...Critically Endangered, 33 Endangered, 33 Vulnerable.•Natural succession after abandonment, eutrophication and drought are major threats.•IUCN Red List of Ecosystems criteria are applicable in small countries or regions.
The Red List of Habitats of the Czech Republic assesses the risk of collapse for 157 types of natural and semi-natural habitats defined in the second edition of the Habitat Catalogue of the Czech Republic. The assessment followed the guidelines for the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems as used in the European Red List of Habitats project, using the criteria of habitat reduction in quantity, restricted geographic distribution, and reduction in abiotic and biotic quality. Quantitative data for the assessment were partly taken from a detailed field habitat mapping at the national scale, and where no quantitative information was available, the values were estimated by summarizing independent judgements of 17 experts. In addition to the criteria involved in the Red List assessment, the experts also assessed various types of threatening factors and their importance for each habitat. Of 157 assessed habitats, 2 were Collapsed (CO), 14 Critically Endangered (CR), 32 Endangered (EN), 33 Vulnerable (VU), 30 Near Threatened (NT) and 46 Least Concern (LC). The largest proportion of CR + EN habitats was in the habitat group of springs and mires and in the group of wetlands. The threatening factors evaluated as the most important were successional changes after cessation of traditional management, eutrophication due to atmospheric nutrient deposition and pollution from agriculture, and increased drought in water-dependent habitats due to climate change or changes in local hydrological regime. The study shows that the IUCN criteria for Red List assessment of habitats, although developed for the global scale, are also applicable within small countries or regions.
Aims
The summit grasslands of many European mountain ranges were historically used for summer grazing, which ceased in the 20th century. These grasslands are changing, partly through succession after ...abandonment and partly owing to environmental changes. Subalpine vegetation is also affected by artificially reduced avalanche frequency. Recent conservation efforts have attempted to reverse the negative trends of change. We ask: (1) How has subalpine vegetation changed following the abandonment and avalanche control? (2) Was conservation management able to reverse the post‐abandonment trend of vegetation change? (3) Did avalanche disturbance have a positive effect on plant species diversity?
Location
Summit area of the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains (1,491 m a.s.l.), Eastern Sudetes, Czech Republic.
Methods
Vegetation plots sampled in the 1970s were resurveyed in the 2000s and again in 2021. Subalpine vegetation was classified into six types, and transitions between these types over time were quantified. Vascular plant species richness and the proportion of threatened species were compared between periods, between areas with and without conservation management, and between areas affected vs unaffected by a large avalanche from 2019. Species composition was analysed using principal coordinate analysis and distance‐based redundancy analysis.
Results
Vegetation types remained relatively stable except for species‐rich grasslands, some of which changed to heathlands or tall‐forb vegetation. Some competitive species have increased, and species specialized to threatened habitats declined. Conservation management systematically implemented after 2010 slowed the decline of habitat‐specialized species but did not reverse it. Disturbance by an avalanche positively affected species richness but not the number of threatened species.
Conclusions
Subalpine vegetation is slowly losing its plant diversity owing to grazing cessation and possibly acidification from past atmospheric deposition. Recently implemented conservation management and restoration of avalanche activity are essential to stop this trend, but future monitoring is needed to evaluate the success of management actions.
Subalpine plant communities in the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains (Czech Republic) were repeatedly sampled in the 1970s, 2000s and 2021. Although vegetation changes were not large, species‐rich grasslands lost some of their habitat‐specialized species. Conservation management partly slowed this process but did not reverse it. Disturbance by an avalanche positively affected species richness but not the number of threatened species.
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