Scientists from Aarhus University have revealed that, contrary to stereotype, Europe was not completely covered in dense forests before the arrival of modern humans. The research was published in the journal Science Developments.
The study’s authors examined the composition of ancient pollen preserved in soil to find out what type of vegetation dominated Europe more than 100 thousand years ago. It turns out that 50 to 75% of the European area is occupied by low plants such as hazelnuts. This shrub hardly grows in dense forests, but scientists have found large amounts of pollen. This means that Europe’s landscape at the time of human settlement was more diverse than previously thought.
The large open spaces probably originated from the large mammals that lived at that time: bison, horses, elephants and rhinos. They inhibited tree growth by consuming large amounts of plant biomass. Scientists say that floods and forest fires also play a role, but to a much lesser extent.
The research could lead to the need to rewrite many textbooks that say early Europeans cut down dense forests, drained swamps and cultivated barren lands, creating the diversity of landscapes. The study also highlights the importance of protecting megafauna.
“Natural areas without large animals are dominated by dense vegetation, where many species of plants and butterflies, for example, fail to thrive. Therefore, it is important to reintroduce large animals into ecosystems if we want to promote biodiversity conservation,” the scientists concluded.
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