<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">During the last few decades, many case studies have focused on landscape transformations in response to water erosion, human impact, and climate changes. This article presents a review and comparison of the current state of knowledge on conducted research on the impact of the activities of early humans on the relief and forms of loess areas in Poland based on the results of a variety of dating methods (OSL, TL, C14, 137Cs, palynology, dendrochronology etc.). The influence of land-use activity since the first permanent settlements (8,000–5,200 BP) played a major role in the development of certain sand sediment terrain forms: gullies, river terraces, the filling of isolated depressions and alluvial fans in the loess areas. As a result, a simplified scheme of landscape evolution was created along with a map of the most investigated areas by authors. The main problem was to differentiate the influence of anthropogenic factors from natural ones occurring either simultaneously or alternatively. The developed deposits form a geo-archive which has recorded the history of environmental changes. A detailed analysis of the sedimentary structures provides the possibility to reconstruct and understand past functional responses in natural systems. It is important to consider the impact of climate change and human influence over the course of history on a specific geomorphological system. This can help to predict future land changes and likely hazards.</abstract>

During the last few decades, many case studies have focused on landscape transformations in response to water erosion, human impact, and climate changes. This article presents a review and comparison of the current state of knowledge on conducted research on the impact of the activities of early humans on the relief and forms of loess areas in Poland based on the results of a variety of dating methods (OSL, TL, C14, 137Cs, palynology, dendrochronology etc.). The influence of land-use activity since the first permanent settlements (8,000–5,200 BP) played a major role in the development of certain sand sediment terrain forms: gullies, river terraces, the filling of isolated depressions and alluvial fans in the loess areas. As a result, a simplified scheme of landscape evolution was created along with a map of the most investigated areas by authors. The main problem was to differentiate the influence of anthropogenic factors from natural ones occurring either simultaneously or alternatively. The developed deposits form a geo-archive which has recorded the history of environmental changes. A detailed analysis of the sedimentary structures provides the possibility to reconstruct and understand past functional responses in natural systems. It is important to consider the impact of climate change and human influence over the course of history on a specific geomorphological system. This can help to predict future land changes and likely hazards.

Outline of the development of research on the impact of Neolithic settlements on the transformation on loess landscapes in southern Poland

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

During the last few decades, many case studies have focused on landscape transformations in response to water erosion, human impact, and climate changes. This...

Outline of the development of research on the impact of Neolithic settlements on the transformation on loess landscapes in southern Poland

Published Online: Jun 12, 2020

Page range: 32 - 44

Received: Feb 11, 2020

Accepted: May 14, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2020-0010

Keywords
loess, geo-archive, human impact, land use change

© 2020 Kamila Ryzner et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Outline of the development of research on the impact of Neolithic settlements on the transformation on loess landscapes in southern Poland

Published Online: Jun 12, 2020

Page range: 32 - 44

Received: Feb 11, 2020

Accepted: May 14, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2020-0010

Keywordsloess, geo-archive, human impact, land use change

© 2020 Kamila Ryzner et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
loess, geo-archive, human impact, land use change