Deforestation during the Roman period was the result of the geographical expansion of the Roman Empire, with an unprecedented increase in population, large-scale agriculture, and economic development. The Roman expansion marks a transition in the Mediterranean from prehistory (about 1,000 BC) to a historical period that began around 500 BC. The Earth sustained several million people 8,000 years ago and is essentially still pure, but Rome encourages human development in Western Europe and is a major contributor to deforestation around the Mediterranean.
Video Deforestation during the Roman period
Cause
Housing and buildings
The most basic building supply in Roman time period is wood. Trees were cut to accommodate an increase in population throughout the Roman Empire. While some Mediterranean homes are built with bricks and stones, roof structures, covered with tiles, as well as floors in high rise apartment buildings are often made of wood.
At one point it is estimated that the Roman Empire had a population of 56.8 million people and one million or more estimated in Rome itself (population not matching in size in Europe to London in the 19th century). With such a large population increase, coupled with a vibrant lifestyle enhancement and high standard of living for the urban community of the Roman world, resource consumption is enormous.
Fuel
Wood is a major source of warming and is widely used in industry. Wood fuel accounts for about 90 percent of total consumption, and is a major factor in Roman deforestation. Wood is an important fuel in industries such as mining, smelting, and manufacturing ceramics. Wood and charcoal are the main ancient fuels in public facilities, households, public baths and light-and-thermal-producing industries.
Forest areas around the mining center were cleared in advance, consuming all the natural resources around the work area. After all the natural resources around the production area are consumed, the timber is then delivered and transported to supply the furnace and smelters to the mining center. Eventually, these centers will be closed and moved to areas within the Roman territory to repeat the same deforestation cycle, supplying the population and growing consumption demand.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the economic base for the Roman Empire. With an ever-increasing population, land clearing for crops is a major cause of early deforestation. Human hands give way to the iron rod and the use of animals to clear the dense forests to take advantage of the rich topsoil.
Agriculture produces commodities that contribute to the economic prosperity of the Romans, who depend on crop yields from slaves/landowners. As a result, in 111 BC Roman law allowed anyone who occupied public land up to 20 acres (81,000 m 2 ) to store it, provided it was brought into cultivation. Such a policy creates widespread cleansing and reflects the importance of agriculture, not only for the affluent but also for the citizens, to the military and traders involved in trade with other regions.
In Chapter 5 ("Roman Soil Erosion") of the book by Way of the Soil by Guy Theodore Wrench, the authors describe the damaging effects that widespread deforestation and subsequent overworking of the soil to grow an increasing number. grains for the population of the Roman Empire that had grown on the ground:
Animals and excessive grazing
The main contributor to environmental degradation and barriers to forest regeneration is domestic animal grazing. Animals grazing and destroying unsuitable land for cultivation. Consumption of plants on the hillside and young trees causes erosion, stripping the soil on the hillside and finally exposing the bare rock. Mud and gravel will drench the hills and mountains creating other problems such as floods, siltations, and swamps that are filled up.
Military
With the depleting natural resources, maintaining a strong military to conquer new territories was very important in Roman times. Military campaign destroys the countryside. Some farmers have to struggle rather than take care of the land. When the natural resources depleted in the occupied Roman Empire, the military was sent not only to defend the land of the Romans, but also to gather other areas that had abundant supply of wood to accommodate Roman necessities. economy. Julius Caesar himself ordered troops to cut down the forest to prevent a sneak attack.
Deforestation ensures that the forest can not provide protection and camouflage to the enemy of Rome. The size of the army stands at about 300,000 and rises to 600,000 towards the end of the imperial period. The area of ​​deforested Roman legions in which they camped or marched to reduce the cover where their enemy could hide and or launch a sneak attack. The military utilizes these resources and builds fortresses, along with tools and transportation to bring supplies when needed.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is a major contributor to deforestation and has large economic and military interests. The importance attached to the wood supply to build the ship can not be denied; vessels are essential to the thriving Mediterranean economic life, and marine forces are vital in the exercise of political control. Warships have priority over merchant vessels in competition for materials.
Thousands of ships were built during this classical period. At the time of the war, hundreds could be built within a month. This greatly depresses the supply of usable wood. As a result, one of the effects of a shipbuilding center is the scarcity of timber in the immediate vicinity. Then, once the nearest areas are depleted of timber resources, transporting timbers from other regions is the next option. Transport is expensive, but an increase in the number of ships is needed to maintain the dominance of the navy.
Urbanization
The early urbanization of Rome and its surroundings was focused around the ability to acquire natural resources. Lowland areas and areas close to water transportation are heavily urbanized first, but as the population increases along with trade and manufacturing, imperial expansion and colonization of conquered territories are required. The environment is degraded drastically because pollution from burning firewood fills air and smelters that use wood as heavy metals fuel that is transmitted to the atmosphere.
The creation of big cities contributes to deforestation in the classical world. Overcrowded forcing citizens to move to the hillside where the forest once stood to build their home. Wood is required to not only build houses, but also theaters, public buildings, chapels and other supplies of modern cities and keep them hot. The resulting urbanization and environmental degradation ultimately weakened the Roman Empire.
Maps Deforestation during the Roman period
Consequences of deforestation
Land
With the increasing demand for resources and food, constant pressure is placed on land and land to provide food for economic growth. Cleaning regularly and plowing out the existing soil, which eventually becomes infertile. The eroded runoff and soil from deforested hillside increases the amount of sediment and hampers the flow of water into agricultural areas.
Finally, because of the Mediterranean climate and the increasing depletion of soil nutrients from hundreds of years of harvest, yields are reduced. Rainwater that has been locked to the ground through vegetation and forest now flows too fast, with every raindrop is not protected by plants or by layers of litter.
Flood/port and port
Erosion was accelerated twentyfold in the 3rd century, creating an unusable swamp, spreading diseases such as malaria. Flooding from water runoff disrupts the water supply to natural springs and rivers, but also increases siltation to coastal areas and harbors in the river delta. Rain washes the unprotected earth and the shifting coastline, in some cases, pushed them for miles into the sea just as it did around the mouth of the Po River.
The washing up of topsoil and sludge and gravel means that ports and ports need to be removed, causing further burden on the economy. Even in the city of Rome, the flood covered the lower part of the city and supported the sewer. The first such floods were recorded in 241 BC; records show an increase in river floods from then onwards.
Reflection and awareness
Cleaning up the need for agriculture and heat is a necessity for long-term survival in Roman times, although there is debate as to whether the Romans understood the implications of deforestation. Richard Grove said, "the state will act to prevent environmental degradation only when their economic interests are proven directly threatened." The Romans did have some form of ecological conservation. Glassware recycling is practiced in conjunction with architectural designs that utilize solar heating. Forests are also under government regulation and protected for future resources. Unfortunately, this effort may be too little too late.
In the 5th century BC, Plato complained that "the loss of wood has torn down the hills and plains around Athens and caused massive soil erosion." Cicero also notes "we (mankind) are masters of what the earth produces," and "all things in this world that men use have been created and made available for the benefit of men."
Interpretation
Alleged Roman collapse
Tainter argues that "deforestation does not lead to the Roman collapse," but that person could make a case to be a part of it. As Williams writes, it is likely that the ongoing war, engulfing epidemics, rebellions, invasions from the outside, declining populations, and excessive levels of urbanization, separately or in combination, operate on the ground in an empire that has overstepped ability..
In the 2011 environmental book of Life Without Oil by Steve Hallett, the author argues that the collapse of the Roman Empire may have been linked to a wooden peak scenario in the Mediterranean basin. He suggested that, since timber had to be transported from afar, the diminishing return law undermined the economic performance of the Roman industry, making Rome vulnerable to other well documented issues of invasion and internal division. They discuss this as a warning story comparing it to the potential fate of contemporary society under the post-peak oil scenario.
Alternate view
Some argue that almost all of the above is based on an unhistorical projection of the present problem, into the past. This alternative view holds that there is an enormous complexity of time, space, climate, geology, and topography which, when combined with our highly segregated information, makes generalizations almost impossible. Tree plants, dates, figs, olives, chestnuts etc., played a very important role in Roman agriculture. Grains are often implanted with this tree plant. Almost all tree species grow again when they are cut. Cutting wood does not, by itself, destroy the forest. Cutting is one way in which wood can be harvested sustainably for example. Hypocausts have been adapted before to burn poor quality fuels such as straw and coal. There is a compelling reason to believe that both straw and coal are an important fuel in ancient times, especially in Roman Britain where coal is abundant in many areas. A great deal of protection against soil erosion arises from hillside terraces. We do not know how extensive the terraces are in ancient times but much of the soil erosion here assumed was caused by the Romans, perhaps dated to the Dark Ages when the maintenance of the terraces was broken. Changes in tree cover may arise from climate differences, which are still not well understood. But there is some evidence that the decline of Western Rome is linked to climate change.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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