Ecological and historical factors behind the spatial structure of the historical field patterns in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Historical field systems are an essential part of the traditional cultural landscape of societies with primarily agricultural subsistence. They embody many functions and values, as they affect the productional, ecological and hydrological functioning of the landscape, its cultural values, the way people perceive the landscape, and their impact on present-day farming. As an aspect of the historical landscape, field systems are a topic investigated in landscape archaeology, environmental studies, historical geography, landscape ecology, and related disciplines. Historical field systems can form many complex spatial structures, shapes and patterns. This paper focuses on identifying environmental and historical/cultural driving forces during the formation and the historical development of various field pattern types. We worked with 523 settlements established in the medieval to the early modern period (approx. 900–1600 AD) in the present-day Czech Republic. We have determined the proportions of different field pattern types in the examined cadastres and have statistically compared them with a variety of environmental and geographical predictors. Our results indicate a strong influence of environmental predictors (terrain undulation, cadastre size), the impact of specific historical events and associated social changes (e.g. land confiscations by the state in the seventeenth century), and a significant relationship between field pattern types and settlement layout types. Furthermore, we have observed the different adaptations of field pattern types to similar environmental conditions, as well as the impact of social and political factors on the processes of landscape formation. Our paper provides the first detailed analysis of the geographical distribution of traditional field systems on the scale of an entire modern state, and emphasizes the importance of transdisciplinary research on cultural landscapes.

Ecosystem Services in the Context of Agroforestry—Results of a Survey among Agricultural Land Users in the Czech Republic

“…The basic idea of agroforestry is that the combination of trees and crops in a spatial or temporal arrangement leads to greater structural and functional complexity in comparison to traditional monoculture production [43], which is conditioned by the fulfilment of multiple ESs and multipurpose trees. Agroforestry has traditionally been an important element of the European landscape, but many of these systems have disappeared as a result of economic and social changes (land abandonment and agricultural intensification [63,64]). Promoting agroforestry at European level requires a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions [81].…”

“…The 50-year period saw the nationalization of agricultural land, resulting in the consolidation of field blocks and the removal of vegetation [39,62]. After the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, the land was returned to the owners, who in many cases leased it to agricultural operators who generally farm in a conventional manner [63,64]. This type of farming generally does not support nature conservation objectives and does not tend to re-establish the broken relationship between farmers and the land [62].…”

The medieval croft plužina field system in a mountain region of central Europe: The interdisciplinary record of the earthen field boundaries in Debrné, Czechia

“…Research on historical field systems is developing rapidly (Brown et al, 2020(Brown et al, , 2021(Brown et al, , 2023Kinnaird et al, 2021;Turner et al, 2021;Vervust et al, 2020). The genesis of different types of landscapes in Europe (Lebeau, 1996;Poschlod, 2015), as well as the historical and ecological factors of parcel boundaries (Kinnaird et al, 2021;Turner et al, 2021) as the main features of field systems in mountainous and foothill landscapes are at the forefront of interest (Fanta et al, 2022;Keller et al, 2023;Silva-Pérez & González-Romero, 2022;Vervust et al, 2020). In the field of research on agricultural settlements in central Europe, the study of the typology and chronology of earthen field-boundary structures (a variation to agricultural terraces) as a key component of the historical landscape has developed (Beneš et al, 2022;Čapek & Holata, 2017;Fanta et al, 2020Fanta et al, , 2022Houfková et al, 2015;Poledník Mohammadi et al, 2023;Shetti et al, 2022;Šitnerová et al, 2020;Škabrada, 2022).…”

“…The field system in Czechia could have been organized in several different ways. We have descriptions of six (Löw & Míchal, 2003) to nine types (Černý, 1973, 1979) or historical processes (Fanta et al, 2022). The segmental plužina is bound to places with poor soil fertility and very rugged terrain and also to villages founded during the early medieval period.…”

“…The genesis of different types of landscapes in Europe (Lebeau, 1996; Poschlod, 2015), as well as the historical and ecological factors of parcel boundaries (Kinnaird et al, 2021; Turner et al, 2021) as the main features of field systems in mountainous and foothill landscapes are at the forefront of interest (Fanta et al, 2022; Keller et al, 2023; Silva‐Pérez & González‐Romero, 2022; Vervust et al, 2020). In the field of research on agricultural settlements in central Europe, the study of the typology and chronology of earthen field‐boundary structures (a variation to agricultural terraces) as a key component of the historical landscape has developed (Beneš et al, 2022; Čapek & Holata, 2017; Fanta et al, 2020, 2022; Houfková et al, 2015; Poledník Mohammadi et al, 2023; Shetti et al, 2022; Šitnerová et al, 2020; Škabrada, 2022). Much analysis of landscape components focuses on the spatial organization and physical structure of such a field system ( plužina in the Czech language, der Flur in German), which is understood as the sum of all agricultural areas of one village or other historical settlement (hamlet, small town, castle, etc.)…”