Disentangling the effect of farming practice and aridity on crop stable isotope values: a present-day model from Morocco and its application to early farming sites in the eastern Mediterranean

Styring, Amy K.; Ater, Mohammed; Hmimsa, Younes; Fraser, Rebecca; Miller, Holly; Neef, Reinder; Pearson, Jessica A.; Bogaard, Amy

Abstract

Agriculture has played a pivotal role in shaping landscapes, soils and vegetation. Developing a better understanding of early farming practices can contribute to wider questions regarding the long-term impact of farming and its nature in comparison with present-day traditional agrosystems. In this study we determine stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of barley grains from a series of present-day traditionally managed farming plots in Morocco, capturing a range of annual rainfall and farming practices. This allows a framework to be developed to refine current isotopic approaches used to infer manuring intensity and crop water status in (semi-)arid regions. This method has been applied to charred crop remains from two early farming sites in the eastern Mediterranean: Abu Hureyra and ‘Ain Ghazal. In this way, our study enhances knowledge of agricultural practice in the past, adding to understanding of how people have shaped and adapted to their environment over thousands of years.

Citation

Styring, A. K., Ater, M., Hmimsa, Y., Fraser, R., Miller, H., Neef, R., …Bogaard, A. (2016). Disentangling the effect of farming practice and aridity on crop stable isotope values: a present-day model from Morocco and its application to early farming sites in the eastern Mediterranean. Anthropocene Review, 3(1), 2-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019616630762

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 12, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Feb 4, 2016
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jul 24, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 24, 2018
• Journal: Anthropocene Review
• Print ISSN: 2053-0196
• Electronic ISSN: 2053-020X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 2-22
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019616630762
• Keywords: Agriculture; Carbon; Crops; Manuring; Nitrogen; Watering
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/778090
• Publisher URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2053019616630762
• Additional Information: Copyright © 2016 by SAGE Publications
• Contract Date: Jul 24, 2018