Asynchronous destruction of marsh and forest in Neolithic age: An example from Luotuodun site, Lower Yangtze

Frontiers in Earth Science

Earth Science

Liugen Lin¹  Yan Tan²  Kunhua Wang²  Zeyu Deng²  Cheng Zhu²  Chunmei Ma³  Li Wu⁴  Tao Shui⁵  Dongsheng Zhao⁵ 

[1]School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

[2]School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

[3]School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

[4]Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, Nanjing, China

[5]School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China

[6]School of History, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

关键词: land use;    anthropogenic landscape;    marsh degradation;    deforestation;    Neolithic;   

DOI  :  10.3389/feart.2023.1143231

 received in 2023-01-12, accepted in 2023-03-29,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The natural marshland and forest landscapes in the Lower Yangtze region have undergone a long history of human-induced destruction; however, little is known about the beginning and process of this destruction. In this study, we investigate the anthropogenic impact on the marsh and forest using cores collected from the vicinity of the Neolithic Luotuodun site, employing palaeoenvironmental and palaeovegetation methods. Our results indicate that the marsh was disturbed by the Neolithic community at 7500 cal yr BP and was completely destroyed at 6500 cal yr BP. Deforestation began at 6500 cal yr BP, and the original mixed broadleaf evergreen and deciduous forest was completely cleared at 4800 cal yr BP. Our findings demonstrate that the Neolithic community in the Luotuodun site prioritized the transformation of marsh in low-lying areas before deforestation. Given that most recent research has focused on pollen-based forest dynamics to study terrestrial landscape changes, the emergence and evolution of anthropogenic landscapes may be greatly underestimated.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Deng, Ma, Wu, Tan, Wang, Lin, Zhao, Shui and Zhu.