Finding Traces of Lost Habitats Around Us
28.06.2023 - 11:47
/ treehugger.com
Here in the British Isles, we are surrounded by history, both natural and human. Many are interested in finding the remnants of the built environment that have survived through our long history.
People are commonly drawn to historic sites, from neolithic burial areas, standing stones, and cathedrals to medieval castles, monasteries, 19th-century former industrial sites, and more—all of which remind us of the past and reveal traces of what came before. Those interested in history can find plenty of sites to visit that are well-signed and often very well-preserved.
However, there is a different, hidden history that many people are not aware of or simply ignore: The traces that remain of precious natural habitats, some of which we have lost due to human activity.
Finding remnants of our ancient ecosystems, and recognizing more clearly what our landscapes once looked like, can help us see where things have gone wrong and potentially be very important in helping us put things right in the future.
The soil below our feet holds many clues about the habitat on a particular site over the years. The different layers of organic matter built up over time can tell us a lot about what once grew there.
Scientists can discover many details not only about people and their activity but also about the vegetation on a site by digging deep and analyzing what they find below.
Of course, the layperson cannot always discern much from the soil. So we may need to look for other clues to help us understand the vegetation that once covered a site.
Amazingly, ancient woodland sites, even when the trees are gone, can still produce plants of the understory that have built up in the seed bank of the area.
Often when particular plants (like English