Non-Linear Evolution and Driving Mechanisms of Holocene Human-Environment Interactions in the East Asian Agro-Pastoral Ecotone

Understanding how Holocene climate change reshaped human societies is critical for deciphering civilization resilience, yet linear deterministic models are increasingly challenged by evidence of non-linear interactions. Focusing on the ecologically sensitive margin of the East Asian Summer Monsoon, this study integrates REVEALS-based vegetation reconstruction, settlement analysis, and MaxEnt modeling to quantify the non-linear evolution of human-environment interactions. Results indicate that vegetation resources primarily constrained settlement distribution, though patterns shifted significantly over time. Early settlements (Neolithic–Bronze Age) aggregated in resource-rich plains under high forest cover (~20–30%). In contrast, during the Wei-Jin period, despite a forest collapse to below 10%, settlements anomalously dispersed to high-altitude, steep terrains (slope contribution >50%), reflecting a prioritization of defense over ecological suitability. Later periods showed a transition to active landscape modification. We demonstrate that vegetation acts as a critical ecological mediator that buffers direct climatic impacts, while social factors like warfare can override environmental constraints. This study highlights the necessity of decoupling ecological resources from climatic indices to fully understand the adaptation of early civilizations.