Jiange Wang, professor, Center for historical geographical studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Objectives:Taihu Lake catchment is located in South East China. It is densely populated district and key developed region in China since the Song Dynasty. Its development is resulted from both environmental change and human activities. What is the relation between environmental change and area development in history? What is the future of the ecological system and social development in this area? Our international multidiscipline research group is trying to answer these questions.This project utilizes interdisciplinary approach in five sections are as follows: climate change and it’s environmental effect in Jiangnan region since the Song Dynasty; coastal change and it’s ecological influences in South East China on a long-term approach; the dividing of river network and the shaping of polder system in Taihu Lake basin since the Song Dynasty; the transformation of soil and water environment in paddy system; the regularities of flora change in Taihu Lake basin since the Song Dynasty.
Research approaches and methodology: This project will take Taihu Lake catchment as a whole research object and be carried out on both macro- and micro-scale. Historical and ecological methods are two main methods in this multidiscipline research program, which also will involved a wide range of geography, climatology, environmental science, botany, agronomy and other methods in specific sub-subjects. In sum, this project tries to integrate natural and social sciences. It will develop new research paths and explore new fields under the multidiscipline framework of ecological social history and historical environmental geography.
Outputs: Nearly 20 papers and 1 or 2 books.