Scholarlink

<p>A lack of historical land-use data hinders the appropriate assessment of ecosystem restoration potential. Here we integrate pollen and phytolith analysis, isotopic dating, historical records, and high-resolution satellite imagery to reconstruct five centuries of land-use and vegetation change in the karst landscapes of Southwest China. We show that prior to the 18th century, dense forests dominated the region under minimal human influence. However, the introduction of maize cultivation, rapid population growth, and extensive deforestation triggered a persistent shift toward open landscapes. This transformation is evidenced by a marked rise in pioneer fern spores (~11%) and an increase in herb pollen by 3.7–18.8%. In areas with severe historical human disturbance, ecological recovery remains difficult, and tree numbers have remained nearly unchanged over the past two decades, despite the absence of human intervention. Overlooking these historical land-use legacies in restoration efforts may possibly lead to unrealistic expectations, misguided interventions, and wasted resources.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Maize cultivation and forest collapse over five centuries in southern China

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月23日

查看全文
  • Yuemin Yue,
  • Shuai Yuan,
  • Lu Wang,
  • Xiudong Hao,
  • Jun Lu,
  • Qian Li,
  • Xinbao Zhang,
  • Xuhong Ouyang,
  • Hongyan Liu,
  • Houyuan Lu,
  • Deliang Chen,
  • Xiangming Xiao,
  • Kelin Wang,
  • Rasmus Fensholt,
  • Martin Brandt

摘要

A lack of historical land-use data hinders the appropriate assessment of ecosystem restoration potential. Here we integrate pollen and phytolith analysis, isotopic dating, historical records, and high-resolution satellite imagery to reconstruct five centuries of land-use and vegetation change in the karst landscapes of Southwest China. We show that prior to the 18th century, dense forests dominated the region under minimal human influence. However, the introduction of maize cultivation, rapid population growth, and extensive deforestation triggered a persistent shift toward open landscapes. This transformation is evidenced by a marked rise in pioneer fern spores (~11%) and an increase in herb pollen by 3.7–18.8%. In areas with severe historical human disturbance, ecological recovery remains difficult, and tree numbers have remained nearly unchanged over the past two decades, despite the absence of human intervention. Overlooking these historical land-use legacies in restoration efforts may possibly lead to unrealistic expectations, misguided interventions, and wasted resources.