Historical ecology reveals landscape transformation coincident with cultural development in central Italy since the Roman Period
Scott Mensing|Edward M. Schoolman|Irene Tunno|Paula J. Noble|Leonardo Sagnotti|Fabio Florindo|Gianluca Piovesan
Knowledge of the direct role humans have had in changing landscape requires perspective historical and archaeological sources, as well climatic ecologic processes, when interpreting paleoecological records. People directly impact land at local scale use decisions are strongly influenced by sociopolitical priorities that change through time. A complete picture potential drivers past environmental must include a detailed integrated analysis evolving priorities, ecological processes. However, there surprisingly few localities possess high-quality historical, archeological high-resolution paleoecologic datasets. We present high resolution 2700-year pollen record from central Italy interpret it relation to archival documents data reconstruct relationship between conditions, their effect on landscape. found that: (1) abrupt was more closely linked demographic transformation than climate change; (2) changes reflected new persisted until conditions shifted; (3) reorganization plant communities very rapid, order decades not centuries; (4) legacies forest management adopted earlier societies continue influence ecosystem services today.
Scientific Reports|OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)|Europe PMC (PubMed Central)|PubMed Central|PubMed