The first large-scale deterioration through agricultural intensification occurred in medieval times, when large areas of wood were systematically deforested . After World War 2, intensification was accomplished through industrialization of agriculture. The 1950s were the decade of collectivization of agricultural property in the GDR, so that in 1960, about 85% of farmland was either collectivized or state owned. In the 1970s and 1980s, agriculture developed towards an industrial organized production system. The creation of very large field units (60-100 ha) was accompanied by habitat loss through removal of field boundaries and terraces. Additionally, more powerful farm machinery enabled deeper soil tillage practices. All this led to oversized irrigation projects, intensive soil exploitation, and the large-scale use of pesticides and fertilizers among others.