Introduction

Abstract

Evolution never reaches a final State. The evolution of ecosystems is chiefly driven by the evolution of species and by climate change. The ecosphere has become widely subjected to the influence of one dominant species: man. As a consequence of the development of the human population and its technical skill, human interactions with other components of the ecosphere have increased non-linearly for millennia. The spatial scale of human interactions has changed over time, from local to regional and finally — due to the emission of substances that influence solar radiation — to global. Man has learned to adjust ecosystems like forests to his needs and has learned to create new ecosystems that grow products of his choice, e.g. agricultural ecosystems. If the diversity and productivity of ecosystems are considered, human activities have also had adverse effects on ecosystems. A lack of knowledge of the importance of nutrient cycling and conservation for the functioning and maintenance of ecosystems led to management practices that often resulted in a reduction of the biodiversity, soil quality and productivity of ecosystems. Such changes can take centuries, during which the ecosystems may develop towards new states as characterised by the Vegetation composition, type of material cycling and soil condition. In the meantime, the climate and the kind of human interaction can change, creating new impulses for the evolution of the ecosystems and reorganising their development.