EUROPEAN TRADITIONAL IRRIGATION IN TRANSITION PART I: IRRIGATION IN TIMES PAST—A HISTORIC LAND USE PRACTICE ACROSS EUROPE

Whereas the importance of traditional irrigation in southern Europe is well known, its role in the ecological history of rural landscapes elsewhere in Europe is often overlooked. This two‐part review aims to advance understanding of the historical and present role of traditional irrigation farming schemes in Europe. It confirms that, prior to the industrial era, irrigation had been an essential part of farming for centuries. It was practised in very different, often contrasting, environmental regions across Europe. The historical spread of the schemes is presented in a map. Two ‘golden ages’ of traditional irrigation in Europe can be identified: the first in the High Middle Ages along with the introduction and widespread adoption of the three‐field system, and the second in the late eighteenth up to the first half of the twentieth century with reorganization of this agricultural system. Due to the complex character of past irrigation functioning, scientific understanding of processes and long‐term impacts is difficult, but ultimately all irrigation farming enterprises were driven by the purpose of increasing yields. Apparently the traditional schemes were the result of an evolution process over the course of centuries characterized by steady optimization and adaptation to historic and local conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.