Historical Landscape Analysis Research Articles

Shaping Baltimore’s urban forests: past insights for present-day ecology

ContextLand use history of urban forests impacts present-day soil structure, vegetation, and ecosystem function, yet is rarely documented in a way accessible to planners and land managers.ObjectivesTo (1) summarize historical land cover of present-day forest patches in Baltimore, MD, USA across land ownership categories and (2) determine whether social-ecological characteristics vary by historical land cover trajectory.MethodsUsing land cover classification derived from 1927 and 1953 aerial imagery, we summarized present-day forest cover by three land cover sequence classes: (1) Persistent forest that has remained forested since 1927, (2) Successional forest previously cleared for non-forest vegetation (including agriculture) that has since reforested, or (3) Converted forest that has regrown on previously developed areas. We then assessed present-day ownership and average canopy height of forest patches by land cover sequence class.ResultsMore than half of Baltimore City’s forest has persisted since at least 1927, 72% since 1953. About 30% has succeeded from non-forest vegetation during the past century, while 15% has reverted from previous development. A large proportion of forest converted from previous development is currently privately owned, whereas persistent and successional forest are more likely municipally-owned. Successional forest occurred on larger average parcels with the fewest number of distinct property owners per patch. Average tree canopy height was significantly greater in patches of persistent forest (mean = 18.1 m) compared to canopy height in successional and converted forest patches (16.6 m and 16.9 m, respectively).ConclusionsHistorical context is often absent from urban landscape ecology but provides information that can inform management approaches and conservation priorities with limited resources for sustaining urban natural resources. Using historical landscape analysis, urban forest patches could be further prioritized for protection by their age class and associated ecosystem characteristics.

Exploring agricultural landscape change from the second half of the twentieth century onwards: combining aerial imagery with farmer perspectives

ContextAnthropogenic landscape change is an important driver shaping our environment. Historical landscape analysis contributes to the monitoring and understanding of these change processes. Such analyses are often focused on specific spatial scales and single research methods, thus covering only limited aspects of landscape change.ObjectivesHere, we aim to assess the potential of combining the analysis of historical aerial imagery and local stakeholder interviews for landscape change studies using a standardized mapping and interviewing approach.MethodsWe compared six agricultural landscapes across Europe and mapped land-cover using historical aerial imagery (starting between 1930 and 1980, depending on data availability, until recent years) with an object-based image analysis and random forest classification. For local perspectives of landscape change, we conducted oral history interviews (OHIs) with (almost) retired farmers. Comparing recorded landscape changes from both approaches provided insight into advantages of combining these two methods.ResultsObject-based analysis enabled the identification of high-resolution land-cover dynamics, with scale enlargement and cropland/grassland expansion being the most commonly recurring trends across European landscapes. Perceived landscape changes identified in the OHIs included changes in farm management, landscape structure, and infrastructure. Farmers also reported drivers and personal values associated with landscape change. Combining the two historical landscape analysis tools resulted in a qualitative and quantitative understanding of changes in land-cover, land use, and land management.ConclusionsComparing physical land-cover change with local farmer perspectives is key to a comprehensive understanding of landscape change. There are different ways the two methods can be combined, leading to different venues for science and policy making.

Buddhist heritage landscape evolution of Mount Wutai: a path dependence approach

An adequate understanding about the evolutionary process, mechanism and influencing factors of cultural landscapes is crucial for their efficient preservation and sustainable development. The theoretical framework of self-reinforcing sequence in path dependence analysis appears applicable but has not yet been well explored as a tool for broader historical landscape analysis like the evolution of cultural landscapes that may last thousands of years. Within such a framework, an empirical case of Buddhist heritage landscape of Mount Wutai is used to account for the institutional genesis, reproduction and change associated with landscape evolution over time. The findings suggest the framework provides an essential toolkit to reveal the specific ways in which path dependence shapes the evolutionary trajectories of cultural landscapes and, based on that, to detect management options that steer development and change of cultural landscapes into a direction that aligns with desired outcomes.

Meadowlands in time: re-envisioning the lost meadows of the Rother valley, West Sussex, UK

ABSTRACTHistorically, meadows provided an essential crop of hay and common grazing in a delicately managed sustainable system in harmony with their environment and were of vital importance to the agricultural cycle of farming communities. Using archival and remotely sensed data, this paper provides a speculative re-construction of a former floodplain water management system and examines the changing fortunes of the floodplain meadows of the Rother valley, West Sussex, revealing the process of change in both the physical and cultural landscape. The inevitable decline of the floodplain meadows of the Rother was part of a nationwide transformation brought about by the introduction of new farming practices operating in a fast-changing tenurial landscape, dominated by the growth of landed estates where commoners’ rights were viewed with growing contempt. Today, the current vista of the Rother reveals only remnants of the past landscape where marginal habitats, riparian fringes and meadows have made way for a monoculture of permanent pasture of poor conservation value, supporting low biodiversity and offering little to mitigate against flood risk and poor water quality. If floodplain meadow reinstatement is to be considered as part of a catchment-wide programme of landscape restoration measures then the results of this historical landscape analysis could act as a ‘guiding image’ for environmental managers and policy makers and a platform to rekindle once again community engagement with its landscape.

Tracing the cultural history of upper Snake River guides in Grand Teton National Park

This study traces the development and evolution of Snake River use and management through an in-depth exploration of historic commercial scenic river guiding and concessions on the upper Snake River in Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) from 1950 to the present day. The research is based on a combination of methods including archival research, oral history analysis, historical landscape analysis, and fieldwork. I suggest that a distinct cultural community of river runners and outdoor recreationalists developed in Grand Teton National Park after World War II. In GRTE, a combination of physical, cultural, and technical forces shaped this community’s evolution including the specific geomorphology and dynamic channel patterns of the upper Snake River, the individuals and groups that worked on this river, and changes in boat and gear technology over time. The following paper presents the early results from the first year of this project in 2016 including the work of a graduate student and myself. This study offers connections between the upper Snake River and Grand Teton National Park to broader national trends in the evolution of outdoor recreation and concessions in national parks, the impact of World War II on technological developments for boating, and the cultural history of adventure outdoor recreation and tourism in the United States.
 
 Featured photo by Elton Menefee on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/AHgCFeg-gXg

ALBA IULIA-LUMEA NOUĂ SITE (ROMANIA): HISTORICAL EVOLUTION FROM NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT TO A MODERN RECREATION AREA

This article highlights the archaeological and geographical importance of the Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă settlement and its functional development throughout history. Situated in a millenary city, the settlement displays obvious traces of the contribution of the civilizations that transformed and adapted the local geographical features according to their constant changing needs. Prehistoric and modern elements from painted pottery and the distinctive mortuary practices of various Neolithic and Eneolithic cultures, the 18th and 19th century military plans, together with Arthur Bach’s collection of photos illustrating a 20th century park, reveal the true value of this site. Drawing on these resources, we present a historical landscape analysis of the Neolithic to Modern Ages in the context of cultural change.

Judicial Assembly Sites in Scotland: Archaeological and Place-Name Evidence of the Scottish Court Hill

A NEW COUNTRYWIDE SURVEY of traditional medieval court sites in northern Britain, using place names, historical records and historic landscape analysis, has identified distinct archaeological characteristics of this widespread, though previously underexamined site type. Natural hills are revealed as the most common venue for local judicial gatherings in Scotland. Place names derived from Gaelic, Scots and English are utilised to illustrate that mounds and reused prehistoric monuments also acted as venues for court sites. Findings from several recent studies have illustrated rich and comparable traditions of legal assembly for Anglo-Saxon England, early Gaelic Ireland and Viking-Age Scandinavia. In the light of these the Scottish sites presented in this article are considered in terms of legal assembly practices derived from the late 1st millennium ad. Evidence for the continued use of court sites into the high medieval period is also discussed.

Recovering the landscape history behind a Mediterranean edge environment (The Congost Valley, Catalonia, 1854–2005): The importance of agroforestry systems in biological conservation

The three main landscape dynamics now underway in Europe –urban sprawl, agricultural intensification and rural abandonment—are observed in a Catalan study area located in an edge environment between a metropolitan fringe and two natural protected sites. In this context, ecological connectivity becomes a key to host biodiversity. By applying to the available land cover maps several landscape metrics and modelling, we perform a historical landscape analysis of the changes experienced in land-use patterns and ecological processes. The results show up the relevant connectivity role played by the traditional agro-forest mosaics that linked both sides of the edge, providing a heterogeneous but continuous land matrix able to maintain high species richness. However these agro-forest mosaics are currently disappearing due to the ongoing urban sprawl and agricultural intensification in the plain, and reforestation leading to rural abandonment in the mountains. The current location of Mediterranean orchids in the study area is used to demonstrate that the results obtained through the ecological landscape assessment are not an analytical construct, but reflect the actual loss of meadows and open grazing spaces formerly created in woodland areas by a traditional multiple-use of forest and pastures now abandoned. The results show up that recovering the historical dynamics behind the current land-use patterns is a necessity for the emerging approaches to integrated biological conservation seeking a more complex and multidimensional management of sustainable cultural landscapes.

Land use change in a 200‐year period and its effect on blue and green water flow in two Slovenian Mediterranean catchments—lessons for the future

AbstractThe overexploitation and impairment of our freshwater resources require land management strategies that support the preservation of green and blue water flow and various ecosystem services. Historical landscape analysis and the influential driving factors of landscape development provide an essential basis for tackling current environmental questions in land and water management. Hence, this article investigates the influence of historical land use pattern on the hydrological processes and provision of blue and green water flow and storage for man and ecosystems under current climate conditions. Moreover, we discuss in how far these findings could be used to predict or optimise future land management options or as a reference for future land and water management. We used digitalized historical land use maps from 1787, 1827, 1940 and 1984 and a digital land use map of present situation from 2009 for our study areas, which are two small scale Slovenian catchments (Reka and Dragonja). The integrated river basin model soil and water assessment tool was used to simulate the land use change effects on blue and green water flow. The results showed for both catchments that the influence of land use change on total and green water quantity would be statistically insignificant but would have considerable effects on the seasonal flows. In the Reka catchment, historical situations indicate effects on spring and summer blue and green water flow due to a decreased percentage of forest and an increased percentage of grassland and vineyards in the past. Results for the Dragonja catchment indicate past shift from arable land use to forest as decrease in summer green water flow and increase in blue water flow. Possible effects are also increased levels of blue water flow and decreased levels of green water flow during the growing period of the year. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Historic terraced vineyards: impressive witnesses of vernacular architecture

ABSTRACT English The history of viticulture has been widely studied in Europe. Knowledge of the landscape history of the viticulture once widely practised on terraced slopes is lacking, however. This paper contains an outline of the history of such vineyards. The forces driving the terracing of steep slopes are discussed, as are the advantages of building terraces and of using dry stone walls as retaining structures. The building fabric of historic terraced vineyards located in south-western Germany and in the Swiss canton of Valais was analysed employing a historical landscape analysis. The construction and function of the different elements of the vineyards, and their interactions, were a particular focus. Also presented are insights into how the building fabric may provide indications as to the owners and the construction history of such winegrowing areas. Finally, strategies for the preservation of these terraced vineyards, which are of great value from both a nature and a heritage conservation perspective, are presented, as are the benefits of continued research.

Rivers, regulation and restoration: land use history of floodplains in a peri-urban landscape in Luxembourg, 1777 - 2000

This paper discusses the historical changes to and the uses of floodplain landscapes in Luxembourg from 1770-2000 as a case study of a region with a rural past and a peri-urban present. Based on the historical landscape analysis approach, the study comprises historical evidence of written, cartographic and oral sources collected at a regional (Gutland) and a local (Syr Valley) level. The floodplains investigated were old cultural landscapes, shaped by agriculture, livestock husbandry, river regulation measures, land improvement, milling, navigation, mining and fisheries. Landscape change has been characterised by different periods of intensity, however it was not until the last century that these changes had a large-scale impact, inducing a complete loss of several ecological and socio-economic functions. A historical perspective of local landscape conditions and land use change is needed to maintain landscape identity in a contemporary peri-urban environment, and to base planning and restoration activities on reliable data.

Digital Elevation Model generation for historical landscape analysis based on LiDAR data, a case study in Flanders (Belgium)

This paper discusses the generation of a high precision DEM (Digital Elevation Model) based on high density airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data for an interdisciplinary landscape archaeological study concerning the settlement history and environment in Sandy Flanders, a region to the north of Ghent (Belgium). The objective was to create a detailed topographical surface free of artificial features and topographical artefacts, in the form of a DEM, visualizing the natural and current topography through the implementation of true ground points only. The semi-automatical removal of these features and artefacts was based on topographical vector data, visual interpretations and slope analysis. Ultimately two DEM’s were constructed (1) a TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) model, whereby the inherent large file format restricts the usability to large scale and (2) a grid model which can be used for small-, medium- and large-scale applications. Both datasets were used as an image that is interpreted using ancillary data from historical sources. Its usefulness is illustrated in a case of field pattern and microfield topography. Starting from this DEM, the approach of this landscape historical study is mainly retrogressive, i.e. starting from the landscape structures and elements that are still present in the contemporary landscape and moving into the past.

Layers of the past: A theory and method for historical landscape analysis

The scope of this paper is to present a landscape analysis which allows for the inclusion of dynamics through time and the cultural diversity of the landscape. Our method is to classify the physical landscape into area types based on the main forms of production in the agricultural society. This is combined with known historical sites, and the result is presented as maps representing different periods in time. We also generate character areas from modern land use and geological maps on the basis of the elements which dominate the landscape today. Finally, we combine the time images with the character areas to present functional units in a manner which includes time depth. The method is described through examples from a municipality in southern Norway (Nøtterøy). The method is useful for defining cultural environments for the purpose of area planning and conservation, and is applicable on a general level.

Changes to Central European landscapes—Analysing historical maps to approach current environmental issues, examples from Saxony, Central Germany

The issues of historical landscape analysis and the influential driving factors of landscape development provide an essential basis for tackling current environmental questions in spatial planning. Therefore, this paper focuses on the objectives and methods of historical landscape analysis with the example of Saxony, Central Germany. The different ways in which such investigations can be applied and the results achieved are shown using four case studies. The main objective is to discuss methodological aspects of spatially explicit GIS-based landscape analysis and ways of making full use of the information contained in historical maps. Examples of suitable maps of Saxony dating back to 1780 are presented. In addition to historical land-use information, valuable additional information can also be gained from this kind of data, such as on the historical pattern of landscape functions, potentials and structures. These findings can be used to predict and optimise future landscape development. The approaches presented here combine methods of classical landscape analysis with modern techniques such as geographic information systems (GIS), the approach of landscape metrics (LSM) or deterministic models (e.g. ABIMO), which can be used to serve spatial analysis, and tools for analysing landscape structure.

“Wilderness”: what it means when it becomes a reality—a case study from the southwestern Alps

Within the framework of the transdisciplinary research project “Changes in alpine landscapes resulting from a decline in land use in the Val Grande National Park and Strona Valley—from rural landscape to wilderness”, the impacts of uncontrolled nature development on the landscape’s structural diversity, plant species richness, as well as on the local population and tourists were investigated. The study area was the community of Premosello Chiovenda in the Val Grande National Park—“Italy’s largest wilderness area”. In order to achieve reliable results, methods for conducting historical landscape analysis, ecological inventories and empirical–social research were combined. As a result of land abandonment, the floristic species richness is decreasing in higher successional stages, and depending on the altitude, the structural diversity of the landscape is changing. Wildfires in the successional communities pose threats to the neighbouring villages. Nevertheless, many rural and cultural landscape characteristics persist, and past uses continue to have a significant impact on future landscape development. The main impacts on the inhabitants are psychological and economic in nature. Around the villages, they regard the effects of abandonment in a very negative light. Visitors of the area judge the consequences of land abandonment differently. While they regard the resulting landscape’s wildness positively, they also regret the cultural losses suffered by rural communities. If the abandoning processes continue, rural landscape and its associated habitats will be lost. Despite this, new habitats, such as those resulting from ecosystem dynamics, will form. The evolving landscape is not, however, hospitable as a living space for man. The characteristics intrinsic to the landscape in the absence of its productive use and maintenance render it uninhabitable. A reasonable scenario for Premosello Chiovenda should provide the coexistence of dynamic, “wild” areas, free from further agri- or silvicultural uses and areas of cultural importance, where traditional and innovative forms of land use should be encouraged and developed. In the future, decision-makers should be aware of the positive and negative aspects of a large-scale rewilding, and all stakeholders, especially the affected local communities, should be included in any decision making process that concerns the establishment of protected areas which are left to develop without human control.