Paper short abstract:

What kind of disturbance effects could have a law of enclosure? I examine the Hungarian Forest and Pasture Separation Act of 1853 implementation, and it is short- and long-term effects on the current high nature and cultural value of wood pastures and silvopastoral systems.

Paper long abstract:

Wood pastures and silvopastoral systems are recognized in Europe as a high natural and cultural value habitat and management. In addition to natural values, they also provide the basis for traditional ecological knowledge and traditional pastoral communities. From the point of view of disturbance ecology, wood pastures are already interesting. They are developed and maintained at local levels by herders and farmers on a fine scale. Furthermore, they are directly significantly influenced by forestry and agricultural policies and law. Examining the history of contemporary Hungarian ancient wood pastures, they almost always highlight the law and implementation of the Forest and Pasture Separation Act of 1853. In my research, I examine how this enclosure law has been implemented, and it is short- and long-term effects on the current high nature and cultural value of wood pastures. As a result of this separation Act, grazing areas have drastically decreased. The pastures were demarcated due to this enclosure during the 19th century, and the remains of the land are the ancient wood pastures of today. This also affected the management of the silvopastoral systems themselves. As a result, communities and even decision-makers and scientists had to rethink pasture and forest management at the local and country-level end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In conclusion, historical human disturbances could have a strong and not-recognized impact on the contemporary landscape and raise the questions of rethink traditional managements and human disturbance narratives.