Historical ecology identifies long‐term rewilding strategy for conserving Mediterranean mountain forests in south Italy

Abstract

In the context of global decline in old-growth forest, historical ecology is a valuable tool to derive insights into vegetation legacies and dynamics and develop new conservation and restoration strategies. In this cross-disciplinary study, we integrate palynology (Lago del Pesce record), history, dendrochronology, and historical and contemporary land cover maps to assess drivers of vegetation change over the last millennium in a Mediterranean mountain forest (Pollino National Park, southern Italy) and discuss implications in conservation ecology. The study site hosts a remnant beech-fir (Fagus sylvatica-Abies alba) mixed forest, a priority habitat for biodiversity conservation in Europe. In the 10th century, the pollen record showed an open environment that was quickly colonized by silver fir when sociopolitical instabilities reduced anthropogenic pressures in mountain forests. The highest forest cover and biomass was reached between the 14th and the 17th centuries following land abandonment due to recurring plague pandemics. This

Historic deforestation and non‐native plant invasions determine vegetation trajectories across an oceanic archipelago

“…Forest species have evolved with and are adapted to the locally prevalent disturbance regime and thus have a strong capacity to recover after disturbance. Even if the disturbance is of anthropogenic origin, the natural regeneration of late‐successional species often progresses slowly once the anthropogenic pressure has ceased and gradually approaches its natural state (Palli et al., 2022). This capacity for recovery is known to be dependent on the size of remnant forest (Seidl et al., 2014; Suganuma et al., 2018), which can act as a source of both seeds for recolonization and critical habitat for seed‐dispersing animals (Bellingham et al., 2010).…”

Global research priorities for historical ecology to inform conservation

“…While progress has been made, progress for better integration of datasets across spatiotemporal scales and drivers remains. At the same time, there is a need to move beyond data to take a critical view of baselines, considering the ways in which these are socially constructed, and the power dynamics embedded in the selection and implementation of baselines (59,60,168,188,220). Historical ecology must continue to embrace its interdisciplinary nature and seek partnerships across disciplines, including natural science, social science, and the humanities when developing and interrogating baselines and other aspects of research.…”

“…One of the opportunities and challenges in this area is integrating long-term records of climate change that are generally on a global scale, with historical ecological data that are often more locally focused (214,220). Similarly, the integration of distinct data sets focused on past climate such as fossil and marine sediment records provide opportunities to compare past climatic change and ecological responses, both with and without people, to help forecast future change (211,213).…”

“…For example, spy satellite data (50,51), historical maps (52,53), and aerial photography (54) can be used to reconstruct ecosystem structure and species habitat use at regional to global scales extending centuries in the past. Natural archives (55,56) can be used to quantify ecosystem productivity, community structure and population sizes at millennial time scales via a large number of organic and inorganic proxies, such as pollen, bio-elements, stable isotopes, and ancient DNA (57,58).…”

“…For instance, integration of different environmental proxies (pollen from lake sediments, dendrochronology, historical maps, etc.) document the drivers of changing vegetation composition in the Mediterranean over the past millennium, with implications for understanding future vegetation change in an uncertain climate (220).…”