Late Holocene landscape instability in the Breckland (England) drift sands

Keyzer, Maïka De; Bateman, Mark D.

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.06.014

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Socio-economic and political factors such as institutional arrangements, property structures, power balances and commercial strategies play an important role when it comes to the initiation and prevention of drift sand (e.g. De Keyzer, 2016 ; De Keyzer and Bateman, in preparation ). These factors determine activities enhancing or preventing sand drifting such as the use of plaggen , deforestation and the construction of hedges and wooden fences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controls on late-Holocene drift-sand dynamics: The dominant role of human pressure in the Netherlands

et al. 2018

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Holocene drift-sand activity in the northwest European sand belt is commonly directly linked to population pressure (agricultural activity) or to climate change (e.g. storminess). In the Pleistocene sand areas of the Netherlands, small-scale Holocene drift-sand activity began in the Mesolithic, whereas large-scale sand drifting started during the Middle Ages. This last phase not only coincides with the intensification of farming and demographic pressure but also is commonly associated with a colder climate and enhanced storminess. This raises the question to what extent drift-sand activity can be attributed to either human activities or natural forcing factors. In this study, we compare the spatial and temporal patterns of drift-sand occurrence for the four characteristic Pleistocene sand regions in the Netherlands for the period between 1000 BC and AD 1700. To this end, we compiled a new supra-regional overview of drift-sand activity based on age estimates (14C, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), archaeological and historical ages). The occurrence of sand drifting was then compared in time and space with historical-route networks, relative vegetation openness and climate. Results indicate a constant but low drift-sand activity between 1000 BC and AD 1000, interrupted by a remarkable decrease in activity around the BC/AD transition. It is evident that human pressure on the landscape was most influential on initiating sand drifting: this is supported by more frequent occurrences close to routes and the uninterrupted increase of drift-sand activity from AD 900 onwards, a period of high population density and large-scale deforestation. Once triggered by human activities, this drift-sand development was probably further intensified several centuries later during the cold and stormier ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA; AD 1570–1850).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controls on late-Holocene drift-sand dynamics: The dominant role of human pressure in the Netherlands

et al. 2018

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“…Deforestation and expansion of agriculture, grazing and burning practices, formation of roads and cattle/sheep drifts, and the use of plaggen as fertiliser led to the remobilisation of the Late Weichselian aeolian sands (Koster, 2009(Koster, , 2010Pierik et al, 2018). This classic view on drift-sand formation was recently modified by De Keyzer (2016) and De Keyzer and Bateman (2018), who stress the importance of socio-economic causes and the distribution of power of stakeholders in the use of the commons and measures to cope with drift-sand development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A complete Late Weichselian and Holocene record of aeolian coversands, drift sands and soils forced by climate change and human impact, Ossendrecht, the Netherlands

Kasse

Aalbersberg²

2019

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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A stacked aeolian sequence with intercalated soils is presented from the southern Netherlands, which fully covers the Late Weichselian and Holocene periods. An integrated sedimentological (sedimentary structures, grain size), palynological (pollen) and dating approach (radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)) was applied to unravel climatic and human forcing factors. The dating results of soils and sediments are compatible, and no large hiatuses between the radiocarbon-dated top of the soils and OSL-dated overlying sands were observed. It is argued that the peaty top of wet-type podzols can be used for reliable radiocarbon dating. This study reveals more phases than previously known of landscape stability (Usselo Soil and two podzol soils) and instability (Younger Coversand I and II, two drift-sand units) that are related to Late Weichselian climate change and Holocene human occupation. Regional aeolian deposition in source-bordering (river) dunes (Younger Coversand II) took place in the second part of the Younger Dryas, after 12.3 ka cal. BP, implying a delayed response to Younger Dryas cooling, vegetation cover decline and river pattern change of the Scheldt. The onset of podzolisation and development of ericaceous vegetation occurred prior to the introduction of Neolithic farming, which is earlier than previously assumed. Early podzolisation was followed by a short phase of local drift-sand deposition, at c.5500 cal. BP, that possibly relates to agriculture. Strong human impact on the landscape by deforestation and agriculture resulted in a second phase of widespread drift-sand deposition covering the younger podzol soil after AD 1000.

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“…40 Surprisingly, however, the Campine areain contrast with other regions in the European coversand beltwas able to restrict any disastrous sand drifts in between those two events. 41 Despite sand reactivation on a small scale and some dune growth during the intermediary period, these processes were much slower, and no village or entire arable complex was lost in the process. Recent excavations and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of Campine dune sites has shown an entirely different pattern of drifting if one compares early medieval and post-eighteenth century drifting with the period in between.…”

Section: Insidious Threats and Hazardous Shocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerabilities avoided and resilience built. Collective action, poor relief and diversification as weapons of the weak (The Campine, Belgium, 1350–1845)

Keyzer

Onacker²

2022

Cont. Change

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In this article we analyse the root causes of the high level of resilience of one particular peasant society: the Campine area. While peasant societies have often been deemed one of the most vulnerable societies in the face of crises and disasters, because of their lack of capital, technology and power, we show that peasant communities possessed some important weapons of the weak. Thanks to strong property rights, collective action, a diverse economic portfolio and inclusive poor relief institutions the Campine peasants were able to weather both the late medieval crises, harvest failures as well as the threat of sand drifts between the fourteenth and nineteenth century.

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Late Holocene landscape instability in the Breckland (England) drift sands

Abstract: Late Holocene landscape instability in the Breckland (England) drift sands. Geomorphology, 323. pp.

Cited by 13 publications

References 44 publications

Controls on late-Holocene drift-sand dynamics: The dominant role of human pressure in the Netherlands

Controls on late-Holocene drift-sand dynamics: The dominant role of human pressure in the Netherlands

A complete Late Weichselian and Holocene record of aeolian coversands, drift sands and soils forced by climate change and human impact, Ossendrecht, the Netherlands

Vulnerabilities avoided and resilience built. Collective action, poor relief and diversification as weapons of the weak (The Campine, Belgium, 1350–1845)

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