Objective The vegetation of Central Europe has been directly influenced by humans for at least eight millennia; the original forests have been gradually transformed into today’s agricultural landscape. However, there is more to this landscape change than the simple disappearance of woodland. Forests have been brought under various management regimes, which profoundly altered their structure and species composition. The details of this process are little known for two main reasons. The greatest obstacle is the lack of cooperation among the disciplines dealing with the subject. The second major problem is the differences in spatio-temporal scaling and resolution used by the individual disciplines. Existing studies either concern smaller territories, or cover large areas (continental to global) with the help of modelling-based generalizations rather than primary data from the past. Using an extensive range of primary sources from history, historical geography, palaeoecology, archaeology and ecology, this interdisciplinary project aims to reconstruct the long-term (Neolithic to present) patterns of woodland cover, structure, composition and management in a larger study region (Moravia, the Czech Republic, ca. 27,000 km2) with the highest spatio-temporal resolution possible. Causes for the patterns observed will be analyzed in terms of qualitative and quantitative factors, both natural and human-driven, and the patterns in the tree layer will be related to those in the herb layer, which constitutes the most important part of plant biodiversity in Europe. This project will introduce woodland management as an equal driving force into long-term woodland dynamics, thus fostering a paradigm shift in ecology towards construing humans as an internal, constitutive element of ecosystems. By integrating sources and methods from the natural sciences and the humanities, the project will provide a more reliable basis for woodland management and conservation in Central Europe. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencespalaeontologypaleoecologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemssocial sciencespolitical sciencesgovernment systems Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-ID1 - ERC Starting Grant Interdisciplinary Panel Call for proposal ERC-2011-StG_20101014 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator BOTANICKY USTAV AV CR, V.V.I. Address Zamek 1 25243 Pruhonice Czechia See on map Region Česko Střední Čechy Středočeský kraj Principal investigator Péter Szabó (Dr.) Administrative Contact Jan Stachura (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 1 413 474,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all BOTANICKY USTAV AV CR, V.V.I. Czechia EU contribution € 1 413 474,00 Address Zamek 1 25243 Pruhonice See on map Region Česko Střední Čechy Středočeský kraj Principal investigator Péter Szabó (Dr.) Administrative Contact Jan Stachura (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window
