ABSTRACT
Knowledge on the drivers of landscape change can inform future decisions and lead landscape evolution towards a more desirable future. This work describes Interior Alentejo landscape changes between two important historical marks in its evolution, the 1820 Liberal Revolution and the 1974 April Revolution, and identifies and classifies the drivers of change.
The research used an extensive and comprehensive literature review, extracting and decoding information from publications from neighbouring disciplines, such as history, sociology, and geography, and an analysis of land use statistical data to build a coherent landscape narrative and identify and classify drivers of change. The identified drivers were grouped into five classes: cultural, social, political, economic, and technological.
The study revealed an heterogenous landscape change in Interior Alentejo, mainly connected with soil fertility and population density, and some recurrent drivers (market shifts, economic policies, technical innovation, demography) that can guide an informed planning of landscape evolution in the region.
