Climatic Change and Agricultural Exhaustion as Elements in the Fall of Rome.

On the economic effects of climate change the author of the article doesn't think that the exhaustion of soil was the main cause for the problems that causes the fall of Rome. He references other countries that use the same type of farming without the repletion of the soil, meaning that farming on that land could maintain indefinitely. The primary change between the climate during the reign of Rome and now is the storminess. In the past the storms were more numerous and severe. This meant more rain in end of spring and more variable weather which was important to break up the heat of summer.

The agricultural decline was due to not enough rain in late spring. Not enough rain killed forests and the lack of forests led to the soil being washed away and swamps being formed. Farmers abandoned their fields so even when the climate improved enough for good farming, the people were already discouraged. When crops stopped being worthwhile the land switched over to be used for grazing of sheep. The sheep would eat the baby trees and trample soil, keeping the land from improving enough for farming. This decline disturbed the system of taxation because taxes didn't decrease with the decreasing of income. With the provinces suffering, their discontent was an important element in the fall of Rome. "Poverty and discouragement of the many almost inevitably favor the concentration of power into the hands of the few."

The biological effect of climate change is that leaders in Ancient Rome and Greece belonged to the fair Nordic race. The climate of Italy was too sunny for blond Nordics which induces diseases and in the long run lessens the rate of reproduction. Roman's practice of bringing in slaves from different racial countries caused a gradual change in racial type of the country. Plus malaria, known in early Rome, became widespread in the 2nd century B.C. The increasing aridity of the climate increased stagnant water in swamps and slower streams which multiplied the creation of mosquitoes.

According to the author, the most important effect of climate change is the effect it had on the people. There are two types of adaptation, the first is the adaptation to light which is easier for the body to accomplish and the second is to temperature and humidity which is much more difficult. The change in climate affected the energy and ability of Romans because their bodies couldn’t adapt fast enough to the changed temperature and humidity. This happened when the most work was needed for irrigation, to overcome malaria, prevent swamps from forming, and fight barbarians.

While traveling around Italy we saw many places that were under the rule of the Roman empire before it fell. Some of these places contained land that used to be used for agriculture before the change in climate discouraged farmers and forced them to abandon their fields. In several fields we saw what the article talked about, sheep grazing on land that used to be used for agriculture. This shows that the harm caused by the initial change in climate has not been entirely reversed yet.