Global-scale comparisons of human land use: developing shared terminology for land-use practices for global change

Kathleen D Morrison ,Nicki J Whitehouse ,Marco Madella ,Elke Hammer ,L Popova ,M.j Gaillard

doi:10.22498/pages.26.1.8

Abstract

Although archaeological data are needed to understand the impacts of past human land use on the Earth system, synthesis is hampered by a lack of consistent categories. We develop hierarchical and scalable land-use classifications for use across the globe.

Highlights

Archaeological data are needed to understand the impacts of past human land use on the Earth system, synthesis is hampered by a lack of consistent categories
Human land-use practices have been highly variable over the course of the Holocene, a diversity evident in the differentiated effects of human activity on land cover
It is important to understand the aggregate effects of anthropic activities on the Earth system, but significant challenges are posed by: (1) the complexity, diversity and mosaic nature of human land use itself (Fig. 1); (2) the need to develop a uniform vocabulary and terminology for land-use practices around the globe and across the span of human history; (3) the sheer quantity of evidence to be analyzed; and (4) the lack of a tradition of global-scale comparisons

Summary

Introduction

Archaeological data are needed to understand the impacts of past human land use on the Earth system, synthesis is hampered by a lack of consistent categories. Human land-use practices have been highly variable over the course of the Holocene, a diversity evident in the differentiated effects of human activity on land cover. Agriculture was one of the most significant forms of land use, but even mobile huntergatherers transformed land cover through landscape-scale burning (Bliege Bird 2008).

Results

Conclusion