In recent decades, there has been a growing number of studies exploring the historical dimensions of the interconnectedness of human societies and the environment. A core approach in this field is historical ecology. We analyzed 544 historical-ecological papers to assess patterns and trends in the field. We found a high degree of interdisciplinarity with a focus on local case studies, of periods of fewer than 500 years, analyzing archival sources through quantitative approaches. The proportion of papers containing management recommendations has increased over time. To make historical ecology globally relevant, more effort should be made to utilize studies across languages, borders and worldviews. We call for high standards regarding the use of social scientific methodologies. Lastly, we argue that fostering longer-term studies and assessing the real-life impact of policy recommendations emerging from historical ecology can help the discipline better contribute solutions to the challenges facing humanity in an uncertain future.

近几十年来，越来越多的研究探索人类社会与环境相互联系的历史维度。该领域的核心方法是历史生态学。我们分析了 544 篇历史生态论文，以评估该领域的模式和趋势。我们发现高度的跨学科性，重点关注时间少于 500 年的当地案例研究，通过定量方法分析档案来源。随着时间的推移，包含管理建议的论文比例不断增加。为了使历史生态学具有全球意义，应该更加努力地利用跨语言、国界和世界观的研究。我们呼吁对社会科学方法的使用采用高标准。最后，我们认为，促进长期研究并评估历史生态学政策建议对现实生活的影响可以帮助该学科更好地为人类在不确定的未来面临的挑战提供解决方案。