Gridded reconstruction of the population in the traditional cultivated region of China from 1776 to 1953

The long-term interaction between the environment and humans has significantly shaped contemporary landscapes worldwide. As a heritage landscape, the polder is essential for understanding the impact of the past human activities on contemporary landscape on low-lying area of land. In this case study, we reconstructed the regional spatial distribution of the polders in the early twentieth century and examined their coherence over the past century using historical maps and other materials in the Jianghan Plain. The results revealed several key findings: (1) In the early twentieth century, there were 1571 polders covering an area of 11,826.1 km2 with a perimeter of 17,035.9 km. (2) These polders exhibited a J-shaped distribution, with few large-scale polders despite their substantial areas. (3) The shape of these polders reflected an ability to balance human needs and the natural environment. (4) Considerable regional differences in these polders were attributed to centuries-old interactions between humans and the environment. (5) The remnants of these early twentieth century polders have had a lasting influence on the contemporary landscape, particularly in rural areas. This case study underscores how taking into account a broader historical perspective can enhance our understanding of present-day landscapes and, more importantly, the role that past human actions have played in shaping them.

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Gridded reconstruction of the population in the traditional cultivated region of China from 1776 to 1953

Cited by 3 publications

References 33 publications

Reconstruction of cropland areas for South Asia from AD 640 to 2016

Reconstruction of cropland areas for South Asia from AD 640 to 2016

Mapping high-resolution global gridded population distribution from 1870 to 2100

The polder systems legacies in the early twentieth century affect the contemporary landscape in the Jianghan Plain of Hubei, China

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