Historical Ecology of Bivalves

Historical ecology is a relatively new approach to studying the ecology of a variety of organisms, ecosystems, and landscapes. It focuses on the historical relationship between humans and the biosphere (Balée 2006) and essentially promotes the view that (1) wherever humans have been, the natural environment is somehow different or changed; (2) human nature is not programmed genetically; (3) different societies impact ecosystems and landscapes in different ways; and (4) human interactions with ecosystems and landscapes may be studied as a whole. Historical ecology has principles that involve different levels of human-mediated disturbance to natural systems for example, the effect of overharvesting of bivalves on primary producers or phytoplankton. It also is more the product of the social sciences, particularly anthropology, archaeology, and geography, than that of biology, chemistry, and physics. However, ecology and historical ecology are multidisciplinary, and multidisciplinary teams of experts have generally produced more meaningful interpretations of the data. Applied historical ecology can provide the reference conditions of spatial, temporal, and general environmental information to assist in the restoration of past ecosystems and landscapes. The interaction of ecology and historical ecology should prove to be a positive experience to both disciplines as well as our species. Important Terms and Concepts Adaptive governance

The necessity and flexibility to negotiate changes in human–environmental interactions as the environment changes.

Historical ecology

Focuses on the chronological relationships between humans and the biosphere.

RCC

Rapid climate change that may be caused by natural or anthropomorphic factors.

Reverse engineering

The process of taking something apart to determine how it works.

Shell midden

An accumulation of food refuse and other waste byproducts of human activity.

Shell mound

Begins as a refuse pile and often becomes a burial site.

Shell ring

A circular structure built mostly of bivalve shells in the prehistoric high salt marsh.

Table 2.1 A Comparison of Species Number or Richness in Living and Prehistoric Assemblages Dominated by Oysters https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">

Location

Habitat

Dominant Bivalve

Total Species

Source

Delaware Bay, DE

Live/Reef/Subtidal

Crassostrea virginica

129

Maurer and Watling (1973)

Potomac River, MD

Live/Reef/Subtidal

Crassostrea virginica

41

Frey (1946)

James River, VA

Live/Reef/Subtidal

Crassostrea virginica

138

Larsen (1985)

Newport River, NC

Live/ Reef/ Intertidal–Subtidal /Gradient

Crassostrea virginica

303

Wells (1961)

North Inlet, SC

Live/Reef/Intertidal

Crassostrea virginica

37

Dame (1979)

Fig Island 1, SC

Prehistoric Shell Ring

Crassostrea virginica

> 45

Russo (2002)

Sapelo Island, GA

Intertidal Rocks

Crassostrea virginica

42

Bahr and Lanier (1981)

Crystal River, FL

Live/Reef/Intertidal

Crassostrea virginica

31

Lehman (1974)

Apalachicola Bay, FL

Live/Reef/Subtidal

Crassostrea virginica

90

Pearse and Wharton (1938)