Human Impact on Ancient Environments

摘要: Threats to biodiversity, food shortages, urban sprawl ...lessons for environmental problems that confront us today may well be found in the past. The archaeological record contains hundreds of situations which societies developed long-term sustainable relationships with their environments and thousands were destructive. Charles Redman demonstrates much can learned from an improved understanding peoples who, through seemingly rational decisions, degraded threatened own survival. By discussing case studies around world deforestation Mayan lowlands soil erosion ancient Greece almost total depletion resources on Easter Island reveals long-range coevolution culture environment clearly shows impact had world. These focus four themes: habitat transformation animal extinctions, agricultural practices, growth, forces accompany complex society. They show humankind's commitment agriculture has cultural consequences have conditioned our perception reveal before European contact did not necessarily live utopian existences been popularly supposed. Whereas most books this topic tend treat human as mere reactors stimuli, Redman's volume them active participants evolving ecological relationships. Human Impact Ancient Environments how research provide unique insights into nature stewardship Earth permanently alter way we think about humans environment.