Abstract:

Historical deforestation in Europe has primarily taken place in densely populated temperate regions and in connection with the expansion of agriculture. In the northern boreal parts of Europe, deforestation has been spatially rather limited and often only temporary. In this talk I will present results from a multidisciplinary study of the deforestation of a subalpine valley in the Fennoscandian mountain range by native Sami people in the period 800-1200 AD. The studied area encompasses approximately 10 km2 and lies at 67° N and at an altitude between 600 and 700 m a s l near the Sulitelma glacier. We combined detailed archaeological surveys (including advanced 14C-dating of hearths) with retrospective ecological methods, historical demography, experimental approaches and ecosystem modeling to analyze the deforestation process and to interpret how and why this past land-use caused a permanent large dent in the present birch (Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa) tree-line in this region. Sami settlers built Stalló-huts of birch stems and birch bark, and they used raw mountain birch for fuel while living in the harsh subalpine environment during winter. This land-use triggered deforestation and vegetation changes which in turn had long-term negative effects on the natural regeneration of trees. We conclude that the present tree-line can be affected by past anthropogenic factors even in areas with very low human population historically, that under certain conditions deforestation can have very long lasting effects in low-productive ecosystems, and that a multi-disciplinary approach with intense collaboration is necessary in order to decipher historical land-use legacies.