Unlocking landscape transient dynamics: Integrating traditional ecological knowledge for enhanced analysis of land‐use changes and forest expansion in a Mediterranean ecosystem

Abstract The Industrial Revolution triggered rural abandonment in Europe and had a profound impact on land configuration and ecosystem dynamics, mainly the growth of forests at the expense of open agricultural habitats. However, rural abandonment has been asynchronous in space and time, depending on regional socio‐economic dynamics. In Mediterranean islands, abandonment occurred at a very fast pace, and it started much later when the tourist industry substituted for the Industrial Revolution. Here, we analysed historical (1956) and recent (2019) aerial images in the Tramuntana range (Mallorca Island, western Mediterranean) to quantify changes in major land covers (woodlands, shrublands and agricultural areas) with insights into the mechanisms of change gained through semi‐structured interviews documenting the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of elderly residents regarding past land‐use practices. The results confirm a transition from agricultural landscapes, which lost 40% of their area, to forests, which doubled their surface. This transition was similar in all study regions, although wildfires in the drier region delayed the expansion of forests. The forest transition was faster in patches that received greater legal protection. We also found a significant transformation in landscape structure due to reduced complexity from the reconnection of forest patches. The results of TEK showed a decrease and extinction of many traditional agricultural practices, mainly extensive livestock grazing and charcoal production from oak trees. TEK should be preserved due to its rapidly fading presence in the Mediterranean islands. Forest transition and the end of cultural fire practices have likely increased the number and magnitude of wildfires in the last decades. The study concludes that the forest transition on this Mediterranean island is a clear consequence of intertwined socio‐economic changes and the abandonment of traditional practices, with multifaceted ecological impacts. It highlights the value of integrating quantitative analysis based on historical data and local knowledge for understanding and managing landscape changes, emphasising the need for balanced approaches to address issues like wildfires and hydrological changes in these evolving socio‐ecological systems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.