Deforestation in Historical Perspective

Abstract

Forests have been advancing, receding and altering for over 300 million years in response to natural phenomena such as geological and biological evolution, climatic change and occasional catastrophes. Humans may have had some influences on forest boundaries and composition in a few regions as much as a million years ago following early man’s mastery of fire. Settled agriculture was not even invented by modern man until 20 to 40 thousand years ago. Neolithic farming was largely confined to fertile riverine flood plains, although domesticated animals foraged in savannas and neighbouring forests.