Anthropogenic biome

The term anthropogenic biome - short: anthrome - describes a large habitat (“ biome ”), the essential ecological properties of which are based on the influence of human (“ anthropogenic ”) land use . The consideration includes the plants and animals naturally occurring in the corresponding habitat (“ biocenosis ”) as well as all inanimate factors.

To consider large-scale ecosystems , the concept of “biomes” is used (on a global level in the German-speaking area also the “ eco- zone model”). Both methods primarily relate to the predominant natural factors when determining the room categories. Since mankind now consumes about a third of the terrestrial net primary production and more or less influences more than 75% of the ice-free land surface (see also: Hemerobia ) , the two American geographers Erle C. Ellis (* 1963) and Navin Ramankutty published this in 2008 Model of the "Anthrome" developed. The term anthrome is an abbreviation for "anthropogenic (= human-influenced) biome". The authors identified 18 different anthromes and divided the remaining unused wilderness areas into three biomes . For the first time, this classification enables a global representation of the current ecological state of the earth.

In order to map as many anthropogenic factors as possible, Ellis and Ramankutty have weighted urbanity , population density , land use and natural facilities in the categorization . Each area was assigned to the factor that played the most formative role there. All areas were then examined and classified according to additional criteria (e.g. biodiversity , carbon cycle , nitrogen and phosphorus pollution).

Population density as an indicator

The authors accorded population density a decisive role as an indicator of the anthropogenic change in ecosystems. For most of the historical changes in the ecological conditions, changes in the population figures were also found: While local communities of traditional hunters and gatherers , often with fewer than 0.1 inhabitants per square kilometer, generally (could not) exert a measurable influence on the ecosystems, the traditional shifting cultivation up to 10 U / km² significantly increases biological diversity . This form of land use can feed a maximum of 40 U / km², but according to more careful calculations it is no longer sustainable at more than 6 U / km². Non-industrially operated permanent cultivation is necessary, however, if the area is to feed more than 100 U / km². However, this already results in a lower biodiversity and a significant change in the landscape.

The higher the population density, the more intensive agriculture has to be in order to feed the people adequately and the lower the natural diversity becomes. The authors state that 250 E / km² represents the limit of population density that a traditional non- market-oriented subsistence economy can supply (example of rice terrace cultivation in Southeast Asia). Accordingly, modern metropolitan areas can only be supplied with the help of high-tech agriculture, which entails a very far-reaching restructuring of the natural conditions. In addition to the land consumption, there are enormous effects on the natural balance, which extend to the biogeochemical processes.

The structure of the 18 anthromes

Land use and anthromes on the earth at the beginning of the 21st century
(largely equal-areaEckert VI map projection)

Click on this link to get a large view of the map with the legend visible at the same time:

Anthropogenic landscapes (designation of the anthromes after Ellis and Ramankutty)	Share of land area	Proportion of world population.	Population densities	Biodiversity*
1. Urban regions
Urban agglomerations ( Urban )	approx. 1%	approx. 29%	> 500 U / km² (Ø 3172)	anthr. ++
 Urban sprawl ( Dense Settlements, Villages )	about 6 %	approx. 51%	150–500 U / km² (Ø 376)	anthr. -
2. Agricultural regions
2.1 Cultivation regions ( Cropland )
Cultivated landscapes close to settlements ( Residential irrigated, Res.rainfed mosaic )	approx. 15%	approx. 14%	35–150 U / km² (Ø 46)	anthr. -
¤  oases
Sparsely populated arable land ( Populated irrigated, Pop.rainfed )	approx. 5%	approx. 1%	> 1 U / km² (Ø 6)	anthr. -
Peripheral economic landscapes ( remote cropland )	approx. 1%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 1)	anthr. −−
2.2 Pasture regions ( Rangeland )
 Regulated pastureland ( Residential rangeland )	approx. 5%	approx. 4%	> 10 U / km² (Ø 32)	native / anthracite. -
 Unregulated pastureland ( Populated rangeland )	approx. 8%	approx. 1%	1–10 U / km² (Ø 4)	native / anthracite. +
3. forest regions ( Forests )
Economic Forests ( Populated forests )	approx. 8%	approx. 1%	> 1 U / km² (Ø 3)	native / anthracite. +
4. Biomes of the wilderness regions
4.1 Wilderness Affected
Peripheral pastureland ( remote rangeland )	approx. 14%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
Peripheral Forests ( remote forests )	approx. 9%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
4.2 Original wilderness ( wild land )
Urwälder ( Wild forests, Intact forest landscapes )	approx. 7%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
Forest tundras u. Savannas ( Populated Forests )	approx. 5%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
Dwarf shrub and grasslands ( Sparse Trees )	approx. 2%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
Semi-deserts and deserts ( bars )	approx. 5%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +
 Ice sheet	approx. 9%	approx. 0%	<1 U / km² (Ø 0)	native +

*) = Biodiversity native (by nature) or anthropogenic (through human activities), from high (+) to very low (−−)

See also

• Anthropocene
• Landscape architecture

Web links

• Anthropogenic Biomes of the World. Website of the Laboratory for Anthropogenic Landscape Ecology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (USA)

Remarks

1. ↑ The source indicates 2,500 E / km². However, this number appears to be incorrectly reproduced, as comparative research has shown.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Alder C Ellis u. Navin Ramankutty: Putting people in the map: anthropogenic biomes of the world. The Ecological Society of America , Washington DC 2008.
2. ↑ Franz Rothe: Cultural-historical and cultural-ecological basics of the intensification and irrigation techniques of traditional agricultural cultures in East Africa: their development background and their ability to survive. Philosophical Faculty of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg i. Br., 2004.
3. ↑ Plant Breeding and Agriculture. Website of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, accessed on February 15, 2014.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Anja von Hahn: Traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities between intellectual property rights and the public domain. Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Springer, Heidelberg 2004.
5. ↑ SR Aiken u. CH Leigh: Vanishing rain forests - The ecological transition in Malaysia. , Clarendon Press, Oxford 1995.
6. ↑ J. Schultz: The ecological zones of the earth. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8252-1514-9
7. ↑ Sources see current file description of the card
8. ↑ Alder C Ellis u. Navin Ramankutty Putting people in the map: anthropogenic biomes of the world. The Ecological Society of America, Washington DC 2008.