Past, Present, and Future of Historical Ecology

Abstract

Since the first half of the twentieth century, the phrase 'historical ecology' has been used with varied interpretations. Four academic disciplines have contributed to the study of historical ecology: history, ecology, geography, and anthropology. Although everyone seems to agree that historical ecology is concerned with the historical link between nature and human civilization, this field of research lacks a consistent strategy, institutional foundation, or common publication outlet. Historical ecology's history is also poorly understood. As a result, there are numerous definitions of historical ecology, as well as various viewpoints on where the field's origins might be found. In this review, I trace the evolution of historical ecology from the 18th century to the present. I quickly cover some early examples of historical ecological research in the first section, followed by a review of the different scientific streams that contributed to historical ecology's development in the twentieth century. The second segment delves deeper into historical ecological research over the last five decades, focused mostly (but not exclusively) on works by authors who labelled them as historical ecology. In historical ecological studies, I also consider the presence and interconnection of the two primary movements (ecological and anthropological). In the final section, based on existing research, I seek to sketch out the future of historical ecology. Historical ecology appears to be at a fork in the road right now. With historical ecological study's growing popularity, it may become more institutionalized or remain a catch-all term.