Landscape and history in Eastern Asia compared with Europe

Endast särskilt inbjudna. Personal invitation.

Four regions of the earth are climatically comparable to Europe: Eastern Asia, the USA/Canada, southern South America and southern Australia/New Zealand. The latter three regions are quite strongly influenced by European culture and land use, while eastern Asia developed quite independently from Europe. Their long and continuous land use traditions often differ from Europe´s. In 2009 Urban Emanuelsson published his book ”The rural landscapes of Europe – How man has shaped European nature”. A similar book project is now initiated. Eastern Asia will be described with the same biological-historical perspective and comparisons with Europe will be in focus.

Examples of factors that have led to different landscape impacts in eastern Asia compared to Europe are:

• Eastern Asia was not glaciated as Europe and is therefore richer in species.
• Different attitudes to grazing domestic animals.
• Different and shifting attitudes towards conservation of forests.
• Different human food habits, such as rice dominance in some areas.
• Different routes and timing of cultural influence from other areas.
• Different religious perceptions about the landscape.
• Political movements policies during the past century have had various effects on the EA-landscape.

The planned book will be interdisciplinary. The interplay between nature and human societies will be in focus. Archaeology and the physical conditions for biodiversity will be addressed, followed by descriptions of various forms of culture that have influenced land use. Competition between different cultures dominated by grazing, agriculture or forestry will be described. How fauna and flora have repeatedly been radically changed is one theme, as is how religious beliefs have triggered changes. The current situation will be described and how the today’s landscape can be used for tourism. 100 areas of interest will be presented to encourage visits. The purpose of the round table is to introduce this book project and to discuss certain aspects of landscape and land use change in eastern Asia.

Programme

Moderator: Ingvar Backéus