4 Agricultural Tapestry
Biodiversity and agriculture are entangled in an everchanging choreography. Some
of the world’s most remarkable species have evolved through agriculture, or found
their habitat in man-made ecosystem; on the other hand, the ongoing development is
turning now to be a growing threat for the same species. Local processes can have
global consequences and vice versa. Questions arise such as: how are world processes affected by agricultural land use, what is the origin of species that are
accommodated in agricultural ecosystems, what is the relationship between agriculture and nature, regarding different levels of farming.
4.1 Agriculture and Its Global Impact Over Time
Recently, the topic of deforestation has re-entered news headlines, also in the public
debate. The clearing of rain forests in the Amazon area, as an example, on behalf of
wood production and the construction of palm oil and soy fields has given rise to
political conflicts. On the other hand, the call for reforestation or cultivating trees, to
combat the growing CO 2 -emmissions is also heard more often and more loudly. This
entanglement of agricultural activity and climate can be recognized throughout
history. Deforestation in order to increase hunting grounds in Northern America or
(later) giving room for agricultural land use in Eurasia had its impact on local and
global climate, which could be recognized in our common history.
At the same time, agriculture activity has always been driven by climate. As such,
the climatic conditions and in line with the development of agriculture, have dictated
history, as can be shown by a European example. In the pre-roman era, the central
Italian area had a favourable climate for the cultivation of wheats, supporting the
growth of the populations and the Roman society. However, a shift in climate
conditions with increased drought in the central Mediterranean led to a decrease in
yields and eventually in food shortages. This forced the roman people to expand their
territory to the West and East, where conditions were more favourable. An empire
was born. A few centuries later the coin flipped and a less favourable climate in
Western and Eastern Europe forced the peoples living there to move. The Migration
period started leading to the fall of the Western Roman empire (Harper 2017).
Climate, however, is not only a driver but can also be driven by man. In the
middle ages, the European population flourished and the need for nutrition and
building material peaked. The feudal system of land tenure, in which rights to
farming were given in exchange for fealty, increased the deforestation in Europe.
This is correlated with an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The
medieval warmth period is associated with a peak in CO 2 as was reconstructed
from captured air in centuries-old ice cores taken from the ice caps. As the plague
struck the European societies, leading to a decrease of 60% in population, spontaneous reforestation occurred. This is again associated with a decrease in atmospheric
The Future of Agricultural Land
415
Biodiversity and agriculture are entangled in an everchanging choreography. Some
of the world’s most remarkable species have evolved through agriculture, or found
their habitat in man-made ecosystem; on the other hand, the ongoing development is
turning now to be a growing threat for the same species. Local processes can have
global consequences and vice versa. Questions arise such as: how are world processes affected by agricultural land use, what is the origin of species that are
accommodated in agricultural ecosystems, what is the relationship between agriculture and nature, regarding different levels of farming.
4.1 Agriculture and Its Global Impact Over Time
Recently, the topic of deforestation has re-entered news headlines, also in the public
debate. The clearing of rain forests in the Amazon area, as an example, on behalf of
wood production and the construction of palm oil and soy fields has given rise to
political conflicts. On the other hand, the call for reforestation or cultivating trees, to
combat the growing CO 2 -emmissions is also heard more often and more loudly. This
entanglement of agricultural activity and climate can be recognized throughout
history. Deforestation in order to increase hunting grounds in Northern America or
(later) giving room for agricultural land use in Eurasia had its impact on local and
global climate, which could be recognized in our common history.
At the same time, agriculture activity has always been driven by climate. As such,
the climatic conditions and in line with the development of agriculture, have dictated
history, as can be shown by a European example. In the pre-roman era, the central
Italian area had a favourable climate for the cultivation of wheats, supporting the
growth of the populations and the Roman society. However, a shift in climate
conditions with increased drought in the central Mediterranean led to a decrease in
yields and eventually in food shortages. This forced the roman people to expand their
territory to the West and East, where conditions were more favourable. An empire
was born. A few centuries later the coin flipped and a less favourable climate in
Western and Eastern Europe forced the peoples living there to move. The Migration
period started leading to the fall of the Western Roman empire (Harper 2017).
Climate, however, is not only a driver but can also be driven by man. In the
middle ages, the European population flourished and the need for nutrition and
building material peaked. The feudal system of land tenure, in which rights to
farming were given in exchange for fealty, increased the deforestation in Europe.
This is correlated with an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The
medieval warmth period is associated with a peak in CO 2 as was reconstructed
from captured air in centuries-old ice cores taken from the ice caps. As the plague
struck the European societies, leading to a decrease of 60% in population, spontaneous reforestation occurred. This is again associated with a decrease in atmospheric
The Future of Agricultural Land
415