Landuse and Landscape Socioecology
in the Mediterranean Basin

A Natural Laboratory for the Study of the Long-Term
Interaction of Human and Natural Systems

This international, interdisciplinary research project will model the long-term dynamics of human landuse and Mediterranean landscapes. Beginning in Fall 2004, modeling efforts will focus on eastern Spain and western Jordan, encompassing much of the range of environmental variability across the Mediterranean region. The project will examine long-term socioecological processes that shaped Mediterranean landscapes, from the beginning of farming to the beginning of complex civilization.

Penaguila valley, eastern Spain

Wadi al-Hasa, western Jordan