An analysis has been undertaken of the land-use evolution in the island of Lesvos for the last 5000 years, based on historical and archaeological documents and recent soil and vegetation survey data. A series of maps were compiled using historical documents for the period from 3300 BC to 1886 BC and vegetation ยฎeld survey data for the period from 1886ยฑ1996. A soil survey (scale 1:50 000) was conducted in 1996 in order to relate the land-use changes to the present physical environment.
Cultivation of the land started around 3300 BC and intensiยฎed during the 18th century BC. During the Roman period forests were already signiยฎcantly reduced to satisfy the increasing demands for agricultural products, timber and heating. In the Byzantine period (4thยฑ15th century), vineyards and pastures expanded, mainly by clearing the forests. Olive plantations increased during the 13th century, motivated by the allocation of subsidies. During the ยฎrst centuries of the Ottoman period, there was a further expansion of olive groves and pastures by reducing forests, while vineyards declined. Great changes occurred in the last century in the geographical distribution and the total area occupied by the various types of land use. Olive groves signiยฎcantly expanded and were redistributed covering more fertile and productive land on hilly areas by clearing mainly pine forests. Oak forests increased on previous pasture areas.
Today, pasture is the main type of land use in hilly areas. These previously forested areas have been cleared without any accompanying measures against soil erosion. This highly degraded land with shallow and severely eroded soils is not able to sustain any proยฎtable agricultural use or natural forest. However, areas cultivated with olives remained sustainable for more than seven centuries without being signiยฎcantly degraded.