Beschreibung:
<jats:p>European landscapes are formed by human activities at least since Neolithic times (LANG 1994). For centuries highly diversified subsistence production supported the population. Agriculture, silvopastoralism, agroforestry practises and forest use were intensively amalgamated through the activities of the households (HASEL 1985, MANTEL 1990). Specialisation was not between landscapes and households, but within these. In order to meet human requirements through local production, it was necessary that the activities being carried out be highly diversified. The specific characteristics and production potentials of the sites were known from long tradition and observation, and were used in a site-adapted manner. The traditional land uses created a large variety of landscape structures, plant communities and habitats for animals. The species compositions and structural patterns reflect the different techniques and intensities of use, as well as the abiotic site conditions (ELLENBERG 1996).
Most landscape elements served for more than one function, depending also from season or long-term cyclic uses. The whole landscape was used intensively, with specific aims in space and time. In the case of grasslands, for example, hay production seasons changed with grazing periods. The traditional uses were limited by site restrictions, less developed infrastructure and technology, and the absence of electricity. On the community level, land use through subsistence production created a stable, self-supporting system. The land uses, including the separation of forest and grazing land, were neither stable nor permanently fixed. Spatial and temporary changes of land use, landscape structure and human activities were commonplace. Periods of forest exploitation, wood pasture and conversion to open grazing land were followed by periods of succession and forest regrowth, e.g. after wars or climatic fluctuations.
A typical region representing “actual land use and landscape transformation” are the villages of the Apuseni Mountains in Romania. The land use system, vegetation, landscape patterns and their actual changes were studied within an interdisciplinary, participatory “Proiect Apuseni” (RUŞDEA et al. 2005).</jats:p>