Sessions > Session 4

Session 4: The island model: a laboratory for the interactions between pioneer societies and their environment

Coordination: Marine Laforge (CReAAH), Pierre Stephan (LETG), Pierre Sabatier (EDYTEM)

Keywords: Islands, climatic variations, evolution of the coastline, landscapes and island ecosystems, human and environment, natural risks, land-use, resilience, pioneer societies

On small islands, past interactions between humans and their environment are crucial in the evolution of island societies. These islands are characterised by their small size and their isolation which make them one of the most vulnerable geographic entities. Their ecosystems, often defined by their limits or constraints, can react more rapidly to changing conditions than those of continental regions.

The purpose of this session is to replace these first insular societies in their original environmental setting. This by the acquisition of data in order to establish baselines or frameworks, These could be archaeological (cultural phases, settlement data) or paleoenvironmental (stratigraphic, climate, vegetation, fauna, sea levels, and risks such as tsunamis, earthquakes, storms/hurricanes, volcanic eruptions etc).

Papers can address the following themes: pioneer colonies, human-environment relations, impacts of natural environmental constraints (e;g; risks, climate) on island environments, impacts of anthropic activities on the evolution of the landscape (deforestation, cultivation, soil erosion and pollution etc.) and the adaptability and resilience of these populations. All these issues make these environments small-scale laboratories forming unique geo-cultural landscapes.