Human impacts on the environment in the preindustrial forest landscapes in Central Europe - an overview

Over the past few millennia, human activity has been one of the most unpredictable factors influencing environmental transformations. Human activities related to agriculture and land use are the primary forces driving the creation of new landscapes. Conversely, the influence of other factors on landscape transformation remains incompletely understood. In particular, forests have been exploited not only for timber but also for various wood-related products, including charcoal, potash, and tar. We consider that charcoal production, besides food production, which increased linearly with population growth, was a kind of turning point in human pressure on the forest environment. Particularly in the Middle Ages, when the demand for products such as glass, iron, and potash grew very rapidly, the production of these products required a higher temperature than that obtained by burning wood. However, the extent and impact of these activities on a spatial scale has not been fully recognized. Charcoal held significant economic and energy value in the pre-industrial era, evidenced by mapping over 600,000 remnants of charcoal hearths in Central Europe. Over time, the demand for energy escalated, leading to the widespread use of coal in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the functioning of charcoal hearths and their role in shaping landscapes. To achieve this, we have combined research methods from biogeography, remote sensing, dendroecology, paleoecology, soil science, botany, onomastics, and art history. This interdisciplinary approach aims to capture not only the natural outcomes but also the social and economic consequences of charcoal production. Our paleoecological findings reveal an intermediate disturbance linked to the operation of charcoal hearths, influencing both short-term and long-term changes in ecosystems with a cascading effect. The production of charcoal has far-reaching consequences, exerting a substantial impact on vegetation composition, soil properties, microclimate, the water cycle, and ultimately leading to erosion, thereby affecting adjoining ecosystems. This research addresses the growing interest in the legacy of charcoal hearths in historical human activities and their pivotal role in shaping landscape transformations during the pre-industrial era.

The study is the result of research project No. 2018/31/B/ST10/02498 funded by the Polish National Science Centre.