The disappearance of cultural landscapes: the case of wooded-meadows in the Ligurian Apennines (NW Italy)

Abstract

The “wooded-meadows system” is a multifunctional use of vegetation resources widespread in Europesince the Neolithic, and well documented in the Ligurian Apennines (NW Italy) between the MiddleAges and the first half of the 19th century. The management of wooded-meadows included: collectionof fallen and dead branches in spring, later used for fuel; mowing and grazing in summer; collection ofsecondary products; making sheaves from branches in autumn, later used as cattle and sheep fodder;coppicing, pollarding and cutting of trees in winter.Three sites located in eastern Ligurian Apennines were studied by means of an interdisciplinaryapproach in order to better understand the impact and the consequences of this historical landusepractice on vegetation structure and composition. In particular, based on specific features ofpalynological diagrams, it was possible to conclude that (compared to the post-cultural phase) when thewooded-meadows system was in use, all the sites were characterized by: (1) lower pollen percentagesof trees; (2) higher pollen percentages of shrubs and herbs; (3) higher percentages of anthropogenicpollen indicators; (4) higher values of palynological richness.This research also represents a contribution to issues of nature-conservation policy for the preservationof cultural landscapes. (Less)