Synthesis, Comparisons, and Future Studies

This chapter is a synthetic overview of the findings disclosed in previous chapters and is subdivided into four main parts: (i) a chronological synthesis, (ii) a statistical synthesis, (iii) a biogeographical contextualization at Peninsular (Iberian) and continental (Mediterranean) levels, and (iv) some suggestions regarding possible future research developments. The chronological synthesis situates all the evidence obtained in a single timeline and explains how the different plant taxa and vegetation types have progressed over the last three millennia, as well as the main environmental and anthropogenic drivers involved and their corresponding interactions. The statistical synthesis uses multivariate techniques to establish the most significant relationships with potential causal meaning. The two independent approaches (chronological and statistical) show remarkable coincidences and are complementary in explaining the history of local and regional vegetation trends in terms of ecological dynamics. In a peninsular context, the Montcortès record contributes to highlighting the high spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the anthropization of Iberian landscapes. In a Mediterranean context, the Montcortès record is unique in terms of temporal extent, varve continuity, absolute dating, high-resolution analyses of independent proxies, and detailed historical records, among others. The Montcortès record is proposed as a standard sequence for the western Mediterranean, which is able to provide continuous past–present ecological records at the same temporal resolution.