The Impact of Late Holocene Flood Management on the Central Po Plain (Northern Italy)

摘要: Fluvial environments have always played a crucial role in human history. The necessity of fertile land and fresh water for agriculture has led populations to settle floodplains more frequently than other environments. Floodplains are complex human–water systems which the mutual interaction between anthropogenic activities environment affected landscape development. In this paper, we analyzed evolution Central Po Plain (Italy) during Medieval period through multi-proxy record geomorphological, archaeological historical data. collapse Western Roman Empire (5th century AD) coincided with progressive waterlogging large floodplain areas. results obtained by research shed new light on consequences that Post-Roman management had evolution. particular, exploitation fluvial sediments flood practices effect reclaiming swamps, but also altered natural geomorphological development area. Even so, were equilibrium system later Renaissance large-scale reclamation works profoundly modified turning wetland into arable visible today. analysis palaeoenvironments their relation past can provide valuable indications planning sustainable urbanized alluvial landscapes future.