scholarly journals The History of Pastoral Activities in S Italy Inferred from Palynology: A Long-Term Perspective to Support Biodiversity Awareness

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assunta Florenzano
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Coprophilous Fungi ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Mediterranean Habitats ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
The Impact

The present-day Mediterranean landscape is a result of the long-term human–environment–climate interactions that have driven the ecological dynamics throughout the Holocene. Pastoralism had (and still has) an important role in shaping this landscape, and contributes to maintaining the mosaic patterns of the Mediterranean habitats. Palaeoecological records provide significant multi-proxy data on environmental changes during the Holocene that are linked to human activities. In such research, the palynological approach is especially useful for detailing the complexity of anthropogenically-driven landscape transformations by discriminating past land uses and pastoral/breeding activities. This paper focuses on the palynological evidence for the impact of centuries of grazing on the vegetation of Basilicata, a region of southern Italy where animal breeding and pastoralism have a long tradition. A set of 121 pollen samples from eight archaeological sites (dated from the 6th century BC to the 15th century AD) and five modern surface soil samples were analyzed. The joint record of pollen pasture indicators and spores of coprophilous fungi suggests that continuous and intense pastoral activities have been practiced in the territory and have highly influenced its landscape. The palaeoecological results of this study provide us with better knowledge of the diachronical transformations of the habitats that were exposed to continuous grazing, with a shift toward more open vegetation and increase of sclerophyllous shrubs. The palynological approach gives insights into the vocation and environmental sustainability of this southern Italy region on a long-term basis.

scholarly journals Sustainability and Livelihoods

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinta Srinivas
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Environmental Landscape

The word environmental sustainability of late has been used as catch word for illustrating the climate change and subsequent sequential impact of various aspects of environmental landscape that include soil management, gaseous exchange, nutrient cycling, carbon emission, rainfall etc., Interpretation of environmental changes are interpreted based on very few trends which need not necessarily cause short term or long term impacts. The impact assessment of a region fundamentally depends on region specific history of habitat management, human interference, agricultural practices, Economic livelihood activities which depend on available natural resources and seasonality of intensity of activities. In the present study efforts are made to indentify the major NTFP based livelihood economic activities and relate the habitat management aspects along with commercial invasion that became detrimental to environmental threshold to call for sustainability alarm. The livelihoods in various developing economies have different environmental impacts. Such assessment of economic activities have any real environmentally detrimental consequences or is it being essentially over emphasizing to create such fears have been analyzed.

Designing a CRM Framework for online & offline sports footwear retailers

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Cueva ◽  
Guillem Rufian ◽  
Maria Gabriela Valdes
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Running Shoes ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
On Line ◽  
The Impact

The use of Customer Relationship Managers to foster customers loyalty has become one of the most common business strategies in the past years.  However, CRM solutions do not fill the abundance of happily ever-after relationships that business needs, and each client’s perception is different in the buying process.  Therefore, the experience must be precise, in order to extend the loyalty period of a customer as much as possible. One of the economic sectors in which CRM’s have improved this experience is retailing, where the personalized attention to the customer is a key factor.  However, brick and mortar experiences are not enough to be aware in how environmental changes could affect the industry trends in the long term.  A base unified theoretical framework must be taken into consideration, in order to develop an adaptable model for constructing or implementing CRMs into companies. Thanks to this approximation, the information is complemented, and the outcome will increment the quality in any Marketing/Sales initiative. The goal of this article is to explore the different factors grouped by three main domains within the impact of service quality, from a consumer’s perspective, in both on-line and off-line retailing sector.  Secondly, we plan to go a step further and extract base guidelines about previous analysis for designing CRM’s solutions focused on the loyalty of the customers for a specific retailing sector and its product: Sports Running Shoes.

Environmental evolution and anthropogenic forcing in the Garigliano coastal plain (Italy) during the Holocene

The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362110032
Author(s):  
Halinka Di Lorenzo ◽  
Pietro Aucelli ◽  
Giuseppe Corrado ◽  
Mario De Iorio ◽  
Marcello Schiattarella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Pollen Data ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Rich

The Garigliano alluvial-coastal plain, at the Latium-Campania border (Italy), witnessed a long-lasting history of human-environment interactions, as demonstrated by the rich archaeological knowledge. With the aim of reconstructing the evolution of the landscape and its interaction with human activity during the last millennia, new pollen results from the coastal sector of the Garigliano Plain were compared with the available pollen data from other nearby sites. The use of pollen data from both the coastal and marine environment allowed integrating the local vegetation dynamics within a wider regional context spanning the last 8000 years. The new pollen data presented in this study derive from the analysis of a core, drilled in the coastal sector, which intercepted the lagoon-marshy environments that occurred in the plain as a response to the Holocene transgression and subsequent coastal progradation. Three radiocarbon ages indicate that the chronology of the analyzed core interval ranges from c. 7200 to c. 2000 cal yr BP. The whole data indicate that a dense forest cover characterized the landscape all along the Prehistoric period, when a few signs of human activity are recorded in the spectra, such as cereal crops, pasture activity and fires. The main environmental changes, forced by natural processes (coastal progradation) but probably enhanced by reclamation works, started from the Graeco-Roman period and led to the reduction of swampy areas that favoured the colonisation of the outer plain.

Past and Present Farming: Changes in Terms of Engagement

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Armstrong Oma
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
The Political ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Husbandry Practices ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

In archaeology, changes in human–animal relationships are rarely considered beyond the moment of domestication. This is influenced by Ingold’s idea that domestication led to a shift in the human engagement with animals (Ingold 2000: 61–76; see Armstrong Oma 2007: 62–4, 2010 for critique). I do not question the validity of such a claim; however, I argue that changes in terms of engagement also happened beyond domestication, and that various configurations of human–animal relationships have existed throughout history. Further, I argue that such changes also have consequences for the environment, by choice of land use strategies and husbandry regimes. A twofold purpose is pursued: first, to investigate how changes in social systems, in my case changes in terms of engagement between humans and animals, affect land use in such a way as to impinge upon natural systems and ecosystems. Second, I wish to grasp the political underpinnings of the models that are employed by archaeologists and, by doing so, to deconstruct the political use of the past (see also Stump, Chapter 10 this volume). Alternative models regarding economic strategies are sought, and the implications of these are discussed. Human–environment studies frequently deal with the impact of human intrusive land use strategies on ecosystems. Awareness has been created around these processes regarding land use techniques and practices (for example Denham and White 2007; Mazoyer and Roudart 2006). However, in European archaeology the impact of husbandry practices upon ecosystems has received considerably less, if any, attention. People in past societies from the Neolithic onwards made the conscious decision to live with animals as herders or as farmers, blending together social and economic choices that had repercussions for landscape developments and ecosystems. Investigations into the relationship between environmental changes caused by husbandry practices and the social systems that instigated those changes are an important contribution to research on past environmental development. These changes are identifiable in the archaeological record.

scholarly journals Hominin responses to environmental changes during the Middle Pleistocene in central and southern Italy

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Orain ◽  
V. Lebreton ◽  
E. Russo Ermolli ◽  
A.-M. Sémah ◽  
S. Nomade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Middle Pleistocene ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Vegetation Dynamic ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Global Climate Changes

Abstract. The palaeobotanical record of early Palaeolithic sites from Western Europe indicates that hominins settled in different kinds of environments. During the "mid-Pleistocene transition (MPT)", from about 1 to 0.6 Ma, the transition from 41- to 100-ka dominant climatic oscillations, occurring within a long-term cooling trend, was associated with an aridity crisis which strongly modified the ecosystems. Starting from the MPT the more favourable climate of central and southern Italy provided propitious environmental conditions for long-term human occupations even during the glacial times. In fact, the human strategy of territory occupation was certainly driven by the availabilities of resources. Prehistoric sites such as Notarchirico (ca. 680–600 ka), La Pineta (ca. 600–620 ka), Guado San Nicola (ca. 380–350 ka) or Ceprano (ca. 345–355 ka) testify to a preferential occupation of the central and southern Apennines valleys during interglacial phases, while later interglacial occupations were oriented towards the coastal plains, as attested by the numerous settlements of the Roma Basin (ca. 300 ka). Faunal remains indicate that human subsistence behaviours benefited from a diversity of exploitable ecosystems, from semi-open to closed environments. In central and southern Italy, several palynological records have already illustrated the regional- and local-scale vegetation dynamic trends. During the Middle Pleistocene climate cycles, mixed mesophytic forests developed during the interglacial periods and withdrew in response to increasing aridity during the glacial episodes. New pollen data from the Boiano Basin (Molise, Italy) attest to the evolution of vegetation and climate between MIS 13 and 9 (ca. 500 to 300 ka). In this basin the persistence of high edaphic humidity, even during the glacial phases, could have favoured the establishment of a refuge area for the arboreal flora and provided subsistence resources for the animal and hominin communities during the Middle Pleistocene. This could have constrained human groups to migrate into such a propitious area. Regarding the local climate evolution during the glacial episodes, the supposed displacement from these sites could be linked to the environmental dynamics solely due to the aridity increase, rather than directly to the global climate changes.

scholarly journals Large mammal exploitation during the c. 14–11 ka Oakhurst techno-complex at Klipdrift Cave, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Discamps ◽  
Christopher S. Henshilwood ◽  
Karen L. van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Subsistence Strategies ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Large Mammal ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Subsistence Patterns ◽  
The Impact

Understanding how hunter-gatherers adapted to the marked environmental changes of the last glacialinterglacial transition (~18 to 11.7 ka cal. BP) remains a key question for archaeologists. South Africa, with its rich and well-preserved archaeological sequences, has a major role to play in this study. Reconstructing the subsistence strategies of people during the Later Stone Age (LSA) is crucial for investigating human– environment interactions at this period in South Africa, yet data are scarce. Recent excavations at a new LSA site, Klipdrift Cave, in the southern Cape, revealed c. 14–11 ka levels with excellent faunal preservation associated with an Oakhurst lithic industry. Taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses of these levels show an almost exclusive accumulation of large mammal remains by LSA groups, with evidence of meat removal, marrow extraction, fire use and the preferential import of nutritious elements back to the site. Large mammals from the site indicate a relatively stable environment dominated by open grasslands that is in accordance with isotopic analyses, with only subtle diachronic variability. Comparison of faunal dynamics with changes in lithic industries, shellfish density and composition reflects complex, asynchronous changes in the macromammal, micromammal, shellfish and lithic records throughout the Oakhurst levels. Rather than evidence of a strong impact of global climate change, Klipdrift Cave shows subtle shifts in subsistence patterns and technology that are better explained by internal societal dynamics and the history of the Oakhurst techno-complex, or local changes in site occupation and direct environment. Significance • LSA archaeological sequences can document the impact of the marked environmental changes of the Pleistocene–Holocene transition on hunter-gatherer societies. Studies of past subsistence strategies are central to our understanding of human–environment interactions in these contexts. • Zooarchaeological, taphonomical and palaeoecological analyses of the large mammal remains from the excavated LSA sequence at Klipdrift Cave provide new data on these interactions. The data highlight asynchronous changes in subsistence patterns, lithic technology and local environment, supporting a complex interplay between climate change, local environment, societal changes and human prehistory. • Klipdrift Cave data set also shows that excavation and analytical choices can strongly bias faunal analysis and environmental reconstructions based thereon.

scholarly journals Hominin responses to environmental changes during the Middle Pleistocene in Central and Southern Italy

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5181-5207 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Orain ◽  
V. Lebreton ◽  
E. Russo Ermolli ◽  
A.-M. Sémah ◽  
S. Nomade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Middle Pleistocene ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Vegetation Dynamic ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Global Climate Changes

Abstract. The palaeobotanical record of early Palaeolithic sites from Western Europe indicates that hominins settled in different kinds of environments. During the "Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT)", from about 1 to 0.6 Ma, the transition from 41-ka to 100-ka dominant climatic oscillations, occurring within a long-term cooling trend, was associated with an aridity crisis which strongly modified the ecosystems. Starting from the MPT the more favorable climate of central and southern Italy provided propitious environmental conditions for long-term human occupations even during the glacial times. In fact, the human strategy of territory occupation was certainly driven by the availabilities of resources. Prehistoric sites such as Notarchirico (ca. 680–600 ka), La Pineta (ca. 600–620 ka), Gaudo San Nicola (ca. 380–350 ka) or Ceprano (ca. 345–355 ka) testify to a preferential occupation of the central and southern Apennines valleys during interglacial phases, while later interglacial occupations were oriented towards the coastal plains, as attested by the numerous settlements of the Roma basin (ca. 300 ka). Faunal remains indicate that human subsistence behaviors benefited of a diversity of exploitable ecosystems, from semi-open to closed environments. In central and southern Italy, several palynological records have already illustrated the regional and local scale vegetation dynamic trends. During the Middle Pleistocene climate cycles, mixed mesophytic forests developed during the interglacial periods and withdrew in response to increasing aridity during the glacial episodes. New pollen data from the Boiano basin (Molise, Italy), attest to the evolution of vegetation and climate between OIS 13 and 9 (ca. 500 to 300 ka). In this basin, the persistence of high edaphic humidity, even during the glacial phases, could have favored the establishment of a refuge area for the arboreal flora and provided subsistence resources for the animal and hominin communities during the Middle Pleistocene. This could have constrained human groups to migrate into such a propitious area. Regarding to the local climate evolution during the glacial episodes, the supposed displacement from these sites could be linked to the environmental dynamics solely due to the aridity increase rather than directly to the global climate changes.

Susceptibility of small boreal lakes to environmental changes as inferred from organic sediments of Lake Talvilampi (Finland)

The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-473
Author(s):  
Krystyna Milecka ◽  
Joanna Mirosław-Grabowska ◽  
Edyta Zawisza ◽  
Grzegorz Kowalewski
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Boreal Lakes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Circle ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
The Impact

During the Holocene, multiple thermal changes commonly occurred in the northern hemisphere. They are well-recorded in lakes with minimum human impact from the Arctic Circle area. The development of these lakes reflects ecological and climatic changes occurring from the formation of the lakes until present-day times. All environmental fluctuations affect biodiversity and are reflected in the number and composition of species. The goals of this study were to detect the ecological changes in a small Finnish lake using pollen, Cladocera and geochemical analyses. The research area is located within the northern zone of boreal coniferous forest and is the most sparsely populated region of Finland. The lake is located in Kuusamo uplands, E Finland, near the polar circle and over 20 km from the Russian border. Indicators of cold water were found only during the initial stage, after the 8.2 ka event and then the temperature was higher. Trophy was high at the beginning of the lake development and then a significant increase in trophy was found after 2600 BP. The impact of human activity is hardly traceable in Arctic Circle Finland throughout the Holocene Thermal Maximum. During the late-Holocene (after 4200 yr cal. BP), this impact is still weak and, even as late as the 20th century, only a few traces of human activity are recorded. General conclusion is that long-term climatic shift has been the most important factor driving changes in the limnology of Lake Talvilampi.

Three islands and an archipelago: reciprocal interactions between humans and island ecosystems in Polynesia

2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick V. Kirch
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Reciprocal Interactions ◽  
Sociopolitical Structures

ABSTRACTOceanic islands offer outstanding ‘model systems' for investigating long-term dynamics between human populations and their ecosystems. Whilst the state factors involved in human-environment dynamics on islands are often simpler than on continents, the same essential processes are involved. This paper applies a comparative approach to understanding the reciprocal interactions between a set of four Polynesian island cases (Tikopia, Mangaia, Mangareva, Hawaiian Islands), over time scales of between one and three thousand years (kyr). In all cases, the island ecosystems were colonised by Polynesian populations derived from the same ancestral culture, with similar socioeconomic patterns. However, the ecosystems vary significantly in scale, geologic age, and other characteristics. Comparing the historical trajectories of these human–environment dynamics, as revealed by archaeological and palaeoecological study, provides insights into the relative impact of humans on pristine island ecosystems, the influence of environment on ecosystem vulnerability, and the ways in which societies have modified their economies, sociopolitical structures, and other aspects of culture in response to long-term environmental changes.

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