El inicio de las repoblaciones forestales en la Región de Murcia: un cambio en el paisaje regional

Herbert G. Kariel, Patricia E. Kariel, Tourist Developments in the Kananaskis Valley Area, Alberta, Canada, and the Impact of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Feb., 1988), pp. 1-10

There is an ongoing need for behavior analysts to look beyond their conventional interests and to conduct research on the behavior of individuals as members of groups, and there is a corresponding need for other social scientists to take advantage of the established and growing body of concepts and principles developed by behavior analysts. One possible area of investigation concerns behavior that changes landscapes that groups occupy and that facilitates creation of regional landscapes. Both landscape change and regional landscape creation are general outcomes of behavior that are conventionally studied by cultural geographers, a group of scholars who have shown little interest in, indeed disdain for, behavior analysis. Notwithstanding the unfortunate precedent, the prospects for an integration of interests are encouraging. The concepts of rule-governed behavior and of delayed outcomes appear especially relevant. Keywords: cultural geography, landscape, behavior, group identity, religion ********** Cultural geography, as one part of the larger discipline of human geography, is concerned with relationships between people and place. For example, cultural geographers focusing on historical topics are interested in human behavior and related landscape change and regional landscape creation. One research question might be: Why did Mormon settlers choose to venture significantly beyond the American frontier in 1847 and settle in an area that most contemporary Americans regarded as inappropriate? Another question might be: Why did British settlers in southeastern Australia move from the established coastal region to initiate a pastoral economy beginning in the 1820s? Answers to questions such as these usually refer to specific contexts of people and place. Thus, Mormons moved from Nauvoo, Missouri, to the Salt Lake region to enhance group identity and facilitate creation of a Mormon place, while pastoral expansion in southeastern Australia was related to the interest in occupying land suited to wool production. Behavior analysts will recognize that these examples of cultural geographic questions are about human behavior, albeit at a group scale, and that behavior analytic concepts and principles might be relevant in seeking answers. However, as discussed in an earlier paper in this journal (Norton 2001b), research along these lines is atypical in the context of a cultural geography subdiscipline characterized by subjectivist approaches. Written for an audience of behavior analysts, this paper aims to encourage researchers to expand their horizons to include studies of behavior normally of interest to cultural geographers on the grounds that behavior analysts are particularly well equipped to provide explanations and insights. Of course, cultural geographers are being encouraged to apply behavior analytic concepts and principles in their studies (for example, Norton, 2000). Expressed rather differently, for both groups of scholars, the aim is to suggest the value of a behavior analytic informed research agenda for cultural geography. The paper is organized into four sections. First, there is a brief review of selected concepts introduced by cultural and historical geographers that are implicitly behaviorist. Second, two analyses that are explicitly behaviorist are briefly noted. Third, group identities and the landscapes groups occupy, value, and change are further discussed with reference to behavior analytic concepts and principles. An optimistic, but admittedly uncertain, final section appraises the prospects for a cultural geography informed by behavior analysis. Some cultural geographic concepts It is possible to identify many instances of cultural geographic research that have behaviorist overtones, but few that are explicitly based on the logic of behavior analysis. Seminal work by Sauer (1925, 1941), the doyen of American cultural geographers, has been interpreted as behaviorist because of the focus on culture as learned behavior, because of the interpretation of culture as cause of landscape change, and because of the claim that cultural groups strive to maximize satisfactions and minimize effort. …

The two major aims of this study are (1) To test the performance of the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) to quantify past landscape changes using historical maps and related written sources, and (2) to use the LRA and map reconstructions for a better understanding of the origin of landscape diversity and the recent loss of species diversity. Southern Sweden, hemiboreal vegetation zone. The LRA was applied on pollen records from three small bogs for four time windows between AD 1700 and 2010. The LRA estimates of % cover for woodland/forest, grassland, wetland, and cultivated land were compared with those extracted from historical maps within 3-km radius around each bog. Map-extracted land-use categories and pollen-based LRA estimates (in % cover) of the same land-use categories show a reasonable agreement in several cases; when they do not agree, the assumptions used in the data (maps)-model (LRA) comparison are a better explanation of the discrepancies between the two than possible biases of the LRA modeling approach. Both the LRA reconstructions and the historical maps reveal between-site differences in landscape characteristics through time, but they demonstrate comparable, profound transformations of the regional and local landscapes over time and space due to the agrarian reforms in southern Sweden during the 18th and 19th centuries. The LRA was found to be the most reasonable approach so far to reconstruct quantitatively past landscape changes from fossil pollen data. The existing landscape diversity in the region at the beginning of the 18th century had its origin in the long-term regional and local vegetation and land-use history over millennia. Agrarian reforms since the 18th century resulted in a dramatic loss of landscape diversity and evenness in both time and space over the last two centuries leading to a similarly dramatic loss of species (e.g., beetles).

The influence of forest management on landscape structure in the cool-temperate forest region of central Japan

Many North American game animals experienced severe population declines during the 19th century due to market hunting. However, estimates of the timing and magnitude of these declines often rely on anecdotal evidence, which makes it difficult to understand the lasting impacts of hunting pressures versus climate or landscape changes on the genetic diversity of contemporary populations. Historical reports suggest the California quail (Callipepla californica) suffered more significant hunting pressure in the late 19th century relative to either Gambel's (Callipepla gambelii) or mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus). Genomic data can help illuminate the extent to which historical exploitation moulded the genetic health of modern quail populations. We compared whole genome sequences from these three quail species to evaluate whether reported differences in hunting pressure affected contemporary patterns of genetic diversity. Contrary to our expectations, California quail did not exhibit any evidence for population declines until the late 20th century, long after the era of market hunting ended. California quail also exhibited the highest levels of genetic diversity across most analyses with evidence for population expansion over the past 500,000 years. In contrast, the mountain quail exhibited a long-term population decline beginning in the middle of the last ice age 30-40 thousand years ago. The Gambel's quail appears to have suffered a more recent bottleneck in association with a major drought that impacted the desert southwest during the mid-20th century. Gambel's quail also exhibited increased realised genetic load for mild and moderately deleterious genetic variants. Together, our results demonstrate that market hunting had little lasting impact on the genetic diversity of these quail species, whereas landscape and climate changes have led to fluctuations in effective population size (Ne) and the buildup of genetic load.

Studies have shown that land use and land cover change (LUCC) has myriad impacts on local and regional climate. Synthesizing the recent findings in this field helps advance landscape ecology and sustainability science in the face of climate change. To review and synthesize mesoscale modeling-based studies examining the impact of LUCC on climate, and to identify research gaps and future research directions. We adopted a systematic review procedure to identify and analyze relevant literature obtained from the Web of Science spanning Jan 1990–Nov 2018. The number of publications per year increased from about 5 before 2008 to as large as 25 thereafter. About 60% of the case studies were focused on China and the US. Urbanization and agricultural development exerted a stronger influence on temperature than other LUCC modifications, with temperature changes generally between 1 and 2 °C. The climate effect of forest loss and urbanization illustrated location-dependency, as similar landscape changes in different latitudes showed climate effects of opposite sign. Extensive irrigation and dam construction increased precipitation, while the impact of urbanization and forest cover change on precipitation was inconclusive (positive, neutral, and negative). Understanding landscape and climate change interactions is essential for studying the ecology and sustainability of regional landscapes. Future research needs to: (1) understand climate effects resulting from land management change, (2) investigate climate change impacts on human health as induced or mediated by landscape changes, and (3) develop sustainable landscapes that can mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Based on the complex studying 10 meter thick loess-soil sequence in the Beglitsa section (47°08° N, 38°31° E), the landscape and climate changes in the north-eastern Azov Sea Region in the Late Pleistocene were reconstructed. The intensity of loess accumulation decreased in the interglacial and interstadial conditions, when the soil-forming processes prevailed, and increased in cryoarid conditions of the glacial epoch, and especially, during the Late Valdai. As indicated by topography of palaeosoil horizons, loess layers of various ages envelope in sequence the primary fluvial (erosional-accumulative) relief. Loess accumulation resulted in general rise of the terrace surface. It preserved the major features of original topography but gradually smoothed the minor ones. During the entire Late Pleistocene the studied area belonged to the steppe zone. Participation of forbs in steppe communities, as well as the grass cover density, decreased in the cryoarid periglacial conditions and increased under warmer and less continental interstadial or interglacial climate. The role of intrazonal tree communities (pine forests with steppe elements, birch and alder wet forests) remained minor even in the most favorable climate of the Mikulino Interglacial, when the broad-leaved trees (mainly Quercus) participated in the forests. During the interstadial warm phases of the Valdai glacial epoch, the trees growing at present in the severe continental climatic conditions (Larix, Pinus sibirica) occurred in the region. As in the present time, near the shore of the Azov Sea, the areas with disturbed soil cover, including those with saline soil, were widespread due to abrasion, development of slumps and landslides, and erosion.

In Northern Tigray (Ethiopia), the combined presence in the valley bottoms of sedimentary fills several meters thick and of archaeological remains of human settlements (homes, camps) raises the question of the socio-environmental processes at the origin of these deposits and their interactions with human populations. However, in certain (national, legislative) contexts, it can be difficult to apply very advanced techniques or to perform a large number of analyses. This paper shows that a chronostratigraphic approach based on laser granulometry, loss on ignition and radiocarbon dating provides satisfactory answers to the main geoarchaeological questions. Our specific objective was to reconstruct the landscape and environmental changes in the region around the Wakarida archaeological site, based on the sedimentary deposits in the valley bottoms. These deposits are now cultivated by the inhabitants, thanks to the construction of agricultural terraces in the 20th century. Archaeological excavations unearthed an urban settlement at Wakarida which dates from the classical Aksumite (150–400/450 AD) and post-Aksumite (800/850 AD) periods, and traces of earlier archaeological occupations (pre- and proto-Aksumite periods, 800–50 BC) in the study area. These remains raise questions about the influence of societies on their environment. A method based on a combination of fieldwork, sedimentological analyses and dating was used to answer these questions. This chronostratigraphic study is partially based on the identification of chronological inversions, revealing ablation and depositional phases in the sedimentary cascades, which have to be taken into account to understand the evolution of the site. We identified several phases in the establishment of the present-day landscape around the Wakarida site. During the Northgrippian (Early Holocene), the valleys were progressively filled by low-energy alluvial and/or colluvial processes. During the Meghalayan (Middle Holocene), ablation processes alternated with depositions resulting from climatic processes and possible anthropogenic influences. From the 1st millennium BC, the impact of the population on its environment (deforestation) has resulted in chronological inversions in the deposits, particularly around the 14th and 17th centuries AD.

Land use and landscape changes undermine the balance between humans and the environment, threatening sustainable regional development, yet their driving mechanisms and future trends remain insufficiently understood, particularly in arid areas. This study establishes a long-term analytical framework for the temporal evolution and driving mechanisms of land use and landscape patterns in arid areas, based on Landsat remote sensing imagery and socio-economic data. We investigate spatiotemporal evolution trends, driving mechanisms, and spatial non-stationarity of regional landscapes, and apply the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model to predict future landscape changes under business-as-usual (BAU), economic development (ED), and ecological protection (EP) scenarios. The results show that: (1) Grassland and unused land together account for over 80% of the total area. From 1990 to 2020, built-up land expanded by 1471.58 km2, an increase of 190.09%. The comprehensive land use dynamic degree in the Urumqi–Changji–Shihezi (UCS) region was 0.22%, with the highest value observed between 2000 and 2010. (2) At the class level, spatial heterogeneity and fragmentation of different landscape types increased, enhancing regional landscape diversity. (3) Spatiotemporal changes in land use and landscape patterns were driven by the combined effects of natural factors, socio-economic conditions, and policy influences. (4) By 2030, under all three scenarios, unused land is expected to decrease, with the most significant reduction under the EP scenario. Grassland will increase most notably under the EP scenario, built-up land will expand, especially under the ED scenario, and cropland will also grow, mainly under the EP scenario. Forest and water areas will show slight decreases with minimal fluctuations. Overall, the proposed framework effectively captures the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving forces of land use and landscape changes, providing support for the formulation of long-term sustainable development policies.

Urbanizing the Eternal City: How did the ancient Romans transform and adapt to Rome’s riverine landscape?

The agricultural landscape forms an important part of Britain’s cultural heritage. Relict field systems cast light upon landscape evolution, often showing the special connections between landscape and people over time. Medieval open field systems represent a method of farming that endured for many hundreds of years, produced through, and dependent upon, community involvement. Most of these landscapes were lost in the period of enclosure in the 18th and 19th centuries as individually held farms replaced such systems; later, the large estates themselves were also frequently broken up. The few survivals of open fields in England are discussed here and the cultural changes associated with landscape change, culminating today in conservation measures to protect such features. Thus the rural landscape reveals the depth of its evolutionary history, contributing towards the rich diversity of England’s regional landscapes and the maintenance of a sound ecological balance, thereby contributing towards the preservation of cultural identity and heritage.

Landscapes reflect both historic and current cultural and socio-economic activities of human societies. Accordingly, as human societies change, the landscape changes as well. Agriculture is the main driver of landscape changes in the Czech Republic. Therefore, it is necessary to devote special attention to agricultural practices and define simple but effective steps to improve landscape mosaics towards a sustainable development. In this study, regional information about historic changes in landscape structure was studied to (1) identify the trends in land use/cover development since 1940 to 2010 and (2) determine the impact of land use change on the resulting heterogeneity of the landscape. The overall purpose was to find areas of compromise which would allow strengthening of landscape structure and thus stabilize its functions. We specified trends of land use/cover development in 15 catchments with varying agriculture intensity. We digitalized aerial photographs from 1940, 1960, and 1990 and orthophotomaps from 2010. Then, we used a heterogeneity index to define landscape heterogeneity in all catchments and time horizons. The results of our research confirmed increasing tillage effort in intensively cultivated areas, support of secondary succession processes in marginalized areas, and overall increase in forest area. Our study found that simplification and homogenization of the landscape mosaic took place in all studied areas, with the steepest decline found in areas with high agriculture intensity. However, linear vegetation proved to be a suitable starting point for a targeted effort to increase heterogeneity and thus seemed to be crucial for sustainable development of landscape functions in agroecosystems.

A multicriteria framework is developed for the selection of optimal flood mitigation and river training measures in a selected reach of Zaremroud River in Northern Iran. A river model, Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System, combined with geographic information system analysis is used to simulate water levels for steady, gradually varied flow and mapping inundated flood extents. The modelling is performed for four different alternatives, considering various channel modifications with different dimensions and levee construction. Flood inundation area, flood level, flow velocity and stream power on the downstream and outside of the river bend are used as decision criteria for each alternative. Economic analysis is conducted to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of each alternative. The decision analysis method, technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, is used to compare different flood hazard mitigation measures based on risk, and environmental and economic impacts criteria. The findings of the analysis are that a levee construction at the right side of the river bank adjacent to the residential area is superior to the other three alternatives, which is confirmed using a scenario analysis of different flood mitigation measures.

Landscape changes in the southern Amazonian foreland basin during the Holocene inferred from Lake Ginebra, Beni, Bolivia

Perception of farmers on landscape change in southern Brazil: Divergences and convergences related to gender and age