Abstract
Information about Holocene sedimentary records in two semiarid areas in Spain and Argentina was gathered to know the role of the anthropic influence on landscape evolution. In both cases, four aggradational units separated by incision phases have been differentiated. Due to the confluence of anthropic indicators, the H1C subunit (ca. 2.45-ca. 1.5 ka cal BP) in the central sector of the Ebro basin (NE Spain), and the H2B subunit (2.45-ca. 0.6 ka cal BP) in the Tafi valley (NW Argentina) are worthy of attention. In both cases, a soil formed around 2.45 cal BP was degraded, because it was the object of intense overexploitation in the Ibero-Roman period in the Ebro valley and Formative period in Tafí valley. The final results of these processes represented transformations so significant that the landscape was unable to recover posteriorly. In highly vulnerable dryland environments, the establishment of adequate criteria to link strong landscape degradative phases with human activity is of high interest to know de older phases of the Anthropocene or Paleoanthropocene.
Highlights
IntroductionThere is a dominant tendency to place the beginning of the Anthropocene in fairly recent dates, such as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (second half of the 18th century) (Crutzen and Stoermer, 2000, Steffen et al, 2011, 2015; Foley et al, 2013; Smith and Zeder, 2013) or 1945 (Zalasiewicz et al, 2015; Waters et al, 2016)
There is a dominant tendency to place the beginning of the Anthropocene in fairly recent dates, such as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (Crutzen and Stoermer, 2000, Steffen et al, 2011, 2015; Foley et al, 2013; Smith and Zeder, 2013) or 1945 (Zalasiewicz et al, 2015; Waters et al, 2016)
Most of the cited authors admit that there was a previous and significant influence of man on the planet – with less influence and a more local focus. This earlier period is named by Ruddiman and Thomson (2001) as the Early Anthropogenic Era and presents a wide range of possible limits, while Foley et al (2013) use the term Palaeoanthropocene
Summary
There is a dominant tendency to place the beginning of the Anthropocene in fairly recent dates, such as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (second half of the 18th century) (Crutzen and Stoermer, 2000, Steffen et al, 2011, 2015; Foley et al, 2013; Smith and Zeder, 2013) or 1945 (Zalasiewicz et al, 2015; Waters et al, 2016). Most of the cited authors admit that there was a previous and significant influence of man on the planet – with less influence and a more local focus This earlier period is named by Ruddiman and Thomson (2001) as the Early Anthropogenic Era and presents a wide range of possible limits, while Foley et al (2013) use the term Palaeoanthropocene. In many arid and semi-arid environments the marks left by anthropic action on a fragile landscape were so deep that subsequent recovery is impossible This type of process can be framed within the parameters of the Palaeoanthropocene
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