Intensification of rice farming and its environmental consequences recorded in a Liangzhu reservoir, China

Abstract

The origin and subsequent development of rice agriculture enabled humans to transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers, thereby profoundly changing human society. However, less attention is focused on when and how rice cultivation practices began to alter the landscape. In this study, sediment from the reservoir inside the Mifenglong dam, Liangzhu hydraulic system was sampled. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results revealed that the duration of the Mifenglong reservoir ranged from 4900 cal BP to 1500 cal BP. The results showed that between 2500 cal BP and 1500 cal BP, intensive rice farming practices transformed the surrounding vegetation and landscapes through deforestation and changes in herbaceous plant structure. This study provides an insight into the impact of human activities and how they influenced the environment on a local scale, as well as contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationships between agricultural development and landscape changes.