From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria
Historical archives hold untapped potential for understanding long-term biodiversity change. This study introduces computational approaches to historical ecology, combining archival research, text analysis, and spatial mapping to reconstruct past biodiversity patterns. Using the 1845 Bavarian Animal...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| author | Malte Rehbein |
| author_facet | Malte Rehbein |
| author_sort | Malte Rehbein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historical archives hold untapped potential for understanding long-term biodiversity change. This study introduces computational approaches to historical ecology, combining archival research, text analysis, and spatial mapping to reconstruct past biodiversity patterns. Using the 1845 Bavarian Animal Observation Dataset (AOD1845), a comprehensive survey of vertebrate species across 119 districts, we transform 5400 prose records into structured ecological data. Our analyses reveal how species distributions, habitat associations, and human–wildlife interactions were shaped by land use and environmental pressures in pre-industrial Bavaria. Beyond documenting ecological baselines, the study captures early perceptions of habitat loss and species decline. We emphasise the critical role of historical expertise in interpreting archival sources and avoiding anachronisms when integrating historical data with modern biodiversity frameworks. By bridging the humanities and environmental sciences, this work shows how digitised archives and computational methods can open new frontiers for conservation science, restoration ecology, and Anthropocene studies. The findings advocate for the systematic mobilisation of historical datasets to better understand biodiversity change over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5448f20cf36f4fcf9a27991e504330bb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-5448f20cf36f4fcf9a27991e504330bb2025-08-20T02:33:52ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-04-0117531510.3390/d17050315From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century BavariaMalte Rehbein0Department of Computational Humanities, University of Passau, 94032 Passau, GermanyHistorical archives hold untapped potential for understanding long-term biodiversity change. This study introduces computational approaches to historical ecology, combining archival research, text analysis, and spatial mapping to reconstruct past biodiversity patterns. Using the 1845 Bavarian Animal Observation Dataset (AOD1845), a comprehensive survey of vertebrate species across 119 districts, we transform 5400 prose records into structured ecological data. Our analyses reveal how species distributions, habitat associations, and human–wildlife interactions were shaped by land use and environmental pressures in pre-industrial Bavaria. Beyond documenting ecological baselines, the study captures early perceptions of habitat loss and species decline. We emphasise the critical role of historical expertise in interpreting archival sources and avoiding anachronisms when integrating historical data with modern biodiversity frameworks. By bridging the humanities and environmental sciences, this work shows how digitised archives and computational methods can open new frontiers for conservation science, restoration ecology, and Anthropocene studies. The findings advocate for the systematic mobilisation of historical datasets to better understand biodiversity change over time.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/315historical ecologybiodiversitybiodiversity informaticsspecies distributionenvironmental humanitiescomputational historical ecology |
| spellingShingle | Malte Rehbein From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria Diversity historical ecology biodiversity biodiversity informatics species distribution environmental humanities computational historical ecology |
| title | From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria |
| title_full | From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria |
| title_fullStr | From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria |
| title_short | From Historical Archives to Algorithms: Reconstructing Biodiversity Patterns in 19th Century Bavaria |
| title_sort | from historical archives to algorithms reconstructing biodiversity patterns in 19th century bavaria |
| topic | historical ecology biodiversity biodiversity informatics species distribution environmental humanities computational historical ecology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/5/315 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malterehbein fromhistoricalarchivestoalgorithmsreconstructingbiodiversitypatternsin19thcenturybavaria |