scholarly journals Anthropogenic Biomes: 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erle C. Ellis ◽  
Arthur H.W. Beusen ◽  
Kees Klein Goldewijk
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Major Advance ◽  
Terrestrial Biosphere ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Time Periods

Human populations and their use of land have reshaped landscapes for thousands of years, creating the anthropogenic biomes (anthromes) that now cover most of the terrestrial biosphere. Here we introduce the first global reconstruction and mapping of anthromes and their changes across the 12,000-year interval from 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE; the Anthromes 12K dataset. Anthromes were mapped using gridded global estimates of human population density and land use from the History of the Global Environment database (HYDE version 3.2) by a classification procedure similar to that used for prior anthrome maps. Anthromes 12K maps generally agreed with prior anthrome maps for the same time periods, though significant differences were observed, including a substantial reduction in Rangelands anthromes in 2000 CE but with increases before that time. Differences between maps resulted largely from improvements in HYDE’s representation of land use, including pastures and rangelands, compared with the HYDE 3.1 input data used in prior anthromes maps. The larger extent of early land use in Anthromes 12K also agrees more closely with empirical assessments than prior anthrome maps; the result of an evidence-based paradigm shift in characterizing the history of Earth’s transformation through land use, from a mostly recent large-scale conversion of uninhabited wildlands, to a long-term trend of increasingly intensive transformation and use of already inhabited and used landscapes. The spatial history of anthropogenic changes depicted in Anthromes 12K remain to be validated, especially for earlier time periods. Nevertheless, Anthromes 12K is a major advance over all prior anthrome datasets and provides a new platform for assessing the long-term environmental consequences of human transformation of the terrestrial biosphere.

scholarly journals The history of settlement and agrarian land use in a boreal forest in Värmland, Sweden, new evidence from pollen analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigrún Dögg Eddudóttir ◽  
Eva Svensson ◽  
Stefan Nilsson ◽  
Anneli Ekblom ◽  
Karl-Johan Lindholm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Pollen Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Archaeological Survey ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractShielings are the historically known form of transhumance in Scandinavia, where livestock were moved from the farmstead to sites in the outlands for summer grazing. Pollen analysis has provided a valuable insight into the history of shielings. This paper presents a vegetation reconstruction and archaeological survey from the shieling Kårebolssätern in northern Värmland, western Sweden, a renovated shieling that is still operating today. The first evidence of human activities in the area near Kårebolssätern are Hordeum- and Cannabis-type pollen grains occurring from ca. 100 bc. Further signs of human impact are charcoal and sporadic occurrences of apophyte pollen from ca. ad 250 and pollen indicating opening of the canopy ca. ad 570, probably a result of modification of the forest for grazing. A decrease in land use is seen between ad 1000 and 1250, possibly in response to a shift in emphasis towards large scale commodity production in the outlands. Emphasis on bloomery iron production and pitfall hunting may have caused a shift from agrarian shieling activity. The clearest changes in the pollen assemblage indicating grazing and cultivation occur from the mid-thirteenth century, coinciding with wetter climate at the beginning of the Little Ice Age. The earliest occurrences of anthropochores in the record predate those of other shieling sites in Sweden. The pollen analysis reveals evidence of land use that predates the results of the archaeological survey. The study highlights how pollen analysis can reveal vegetation changes where early archaeological remains are obscure.

Formation and Land-Use History of Celtic Fields in North-West Europe – an Interdisciplinary Case Study at Zeijen, the Netherlands

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theo Spek ◽  
Willy Groenman-van Waateringe ◽  
Maja Kooistra ◽  
Lideweij Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
North West ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
History Of

Celtic field research has so far been strongly focused on prospection and mapping. As a result of this there is a serious lack of knowledge of formation and land-use processes of these fields. This article describes a methodological case study in The Netherlands that may be applied to other European Celtic fields in the future. By interdisciplinary use of pedological, palynological and micromorphological research methods the authors were able to discern five development stages in the history of the field, dating from the late Bronze Age to the early Roman Period. There are strong indications that the earthen ridges, very typical for Celtic fields in the sandy landscapes of north-west Europe, were only formed in the later stages of Celtic field agriculture (late Iron Age and early Roman period). They were the result of a determined raising of the surface by large-scale transportation of soil material from the surroundings of the fields. Mainly the ridges were intensively cultivated and manured in the later stages of Celtic field cultivation. In the late Iron Age a remarkable shift in Celtic field agriculture took place from an extensive system with long fallow periods, a low level of manuring and extensive soil tillage to a more intensive system with shorter fallow periods, a more intensive soil tillage and a higher manuring intensity. There are also strong indications that rye (Secale cereale) was the main crop in the final stage of Celtic field agriculture.

scholarly journals What can we learn from long-term groundwater data to improve climate change impact studies?

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 7621-7655 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Stoll ◽  
H. J. Hendricks Franssen ◽  
R. Barthel ◽  
W. Kinzelbach
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Climate Change Impact ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Groundwater Dynamics ◽  
Impact Studies ◽  
Change Impact

Abstract. Future risks for groundwater resources, due to global change are usually analyzed by driving hydrological models with the outputs of climate models. However, this model chain is subject to considerable uncertainties. Given the high uncertainties it is essential to identify the processes governing the groundwater dynamics, as these processes are likely to affect groundwater resources in the future, too. Information about the dominant mechanisms can be achieved by the analysis of long-term data, which are assumed to provide insight in the reaction of groundwater resources to changing conditions (weather, land use, water demand). Referring to this, a dataset of 30 long-term time series of precipitation dominated groundwater systems in northern Switzerland and southern Germany is collected. In order to receive additional information the analysis of the data is carried out together with hydrological model simulations. High spatio-temporal correlations, even over large distances could be detected and are assumed to be related to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. As a result it is suggested to prefer innovative weather-type-based downscaling methods to other stochastic downscaling approaches. In addition, with the help of a qualitative procedure to distinguish between meteorological and anthropogenic causes it was possible to identify processes which dominated the groundwater dynamics in the past. It could be shown that besides the meteorological conditions, land use changes, pumping activity and feedback mechanisms governed the groundwater dynamics. Based on these findings, recommendations to improve climate change impact studies are suggested.

Heterogeneous model of schistosomiasis transmission and long-term control: the combined influence of spatial variation and age-dependent factors on optimal allocation of drug therapy

Parasitology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. GURARIE ◽  
C. H. KING
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Snail Population ◽  
Extended Model ◽  
Heterogeneous Model ◽  
Age Dependent

Prior field studies and modelling analyses have individually highlighted the importance of age-specific and spatial heterogeneities on the risk for schistosomiasis in human populations. As long-term, large-scale drug treatment programs for schistosomiasis are initiated in subSaharan Africa and elsewhere, optimal strategies for timing and distribution of therapy have yet to be fully defined on the working, district-level scale, where strong heterogeneities are often observed among sublocations. Based on transmission estimates from recent field studies, we develop an extended model of heterogeneous schistosome transmission for distributed human and snail population clusters and age-dependent behaviour, based on a ‘mean worm burden+snail infection prevalence’ formulation. We analyse its equilibria and basic reproduction patterns and their dependence on the underlying transmission parameters. Our model allows the exploration of chemotherapy-based control strategies targeted at high-risk behavioural groups and localities, and the approach to an optimal design in terms of cost. Efficacy of the approach is demonstrated for a model environment having linked, but spatially-distributed, populations and transmission sites.

The Holocaust

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George R. Mastroianni
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Cultural Processes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Situational Pressures

Chapter 2 traces the history of psychological thinking about Hitler, the Nazi accession to power, and, eventually, the Holocaust. Explanations of these phenomena took several forms. Some focused on putative psychopathology, either of Nazi leaders or Germans as a whole; some focused on particular German cultural and social adaptations that were thought to produce particularly obedient and authoritarian individuals; still others emphasized the interaction of some or all of these factors with long-term, large-scale historical and cultural processes. Gordon Allport saw prejudice and racism as central to understanding the Holocaust. After Stanley Milgram’s studies appeared in the early 1960s, genocidal behavior was largely seen by psychologists as an obedient response to situational pressures. Recent decades have brought greater diversity in social psychological explanations of perpetrator behavior in the Holocaust and in genocide more generally.

Trends in the frequency, extent, and severity of spruce budworm outbreaks in eastern Canada

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Blais
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
The Past ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
History Of

The history of spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) outbreaks for the past 200 to 300 years, for nine regions in eastern Canada, indicates that outbreaks have occurred more frequently in the 20th century than previously. Regionally, 21 outbreaks took place in the past 80 years compared with 9 in the preceding 100 years. Earlier infestations were restricted to specific regions, but in the 20th century they have coalesced and increased in size, the outbreaks of 1910, 1940, and 1970 having covered 10, 25, and 55 million ha respectively. Reasons for the increase in frequency, extent, and severity of outbreaks appear mostly attributable to changes caused by man, in the forest ecosystem. Clear-cutting of pulpwood stands, fire protection, and use of pesticides against budworm favor fir–spruce stands, rendering the forest more prone to budworm attack. The manner and degree to which each of these practices has altered forest composition is discussed. In the future, most of these practices are expected to continue and their effects could intensify, especially in regions of recent application. Other practices, including large-scale planting of white spruce, could further increase the susceptibility of forest stands. Forest management, aimed at reducing the occurrence of extensive fir–spruce stands, has been advocated as a long-term solution to the budworm problem. The implementation of this measure at a time when man's actions result in the proliferation of fir presents a most serious challenge to forest managers.

scholarly journals South Korea's Scramble for Africa: Complexities and Implications

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Mark Curry
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Limited Experience ◽  
History Of

South Korea had recently made agreements to secure large-scale deals in Tanzania, among other places, to secure cheap, long term agriculture supplies. Having limited experience in Africa, the potential for problems with Korea’s partners is great. The feasibility, desirability and legitimacy of such projects must be examined to forestall difficulties. Africa’s volatility and Tanzania’s complex historical context likewise need to be understood alongside Korea’s own history of colonization of Tanzanian indigenous people’s land. Also, Korea’s geopolitical standing and emergency as a developed county are implicated by such ventures. Significantly, securing future food resources by controlling large territories in distant continents is relevant to any discussion of Korea’s security and international relations.

scholarly journals Deep time diversity and the early radiations of birds

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (10) ◽  
pp. e2019865118
Author(s):  
Yilun Yu ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Xing Xu
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Evolutionary Rate ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
The Third ◽  
Time Diversity ◽  
History Of

Reconstructing the history of biodiversity has been hindered by often-separate analyses of stem and crown groups of the clades in question that are not easily understood within the same unified evolutionary framework. Here, we investigate the evolutionary history of birds by analyzing three supertrees that combine published phylogenies of both stem and crown birds. Our analyses reveal three distinct large-scale increases in the diversification rate across bird evolutionary history. The first increase, which began between 160 and 170 Ma and reached its peak between 130 and 135 Ma, corresponds to an accelerated morphological evolutionary rate associated with the locomotory systems among early stem birds. This radiation resulted in morphospace occupation that is larger and different from their close dinosaurian relatives, demonstrating the occurrence of a radiation among early stem birds. The second increase, which started ∼90 Ma and reached its peak between 65 and 55 Ma, is associated with rapid evolution of the cranial skeleton among early crown birds, driven differently from the first radiation. The third increase, which occurred after ∼40 to 45 Ma, has yet to be supported by quantitative morphological data but gains some support from the fossil record. Our analyses indicate that the bird biodiversity evolution was influenced mainly by long-term climatic changes and also by major paleobiological events such as the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction.

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