Field boundary stone walls as exemplars of 'novel' ecosystems

In some parts of Europe, stone wall field boundaries pervade
agricultural landscapes, yet despite their prominence there has been very
little research into field boundary walls anywhere. However, these
anthropogenic features within cultural landscapes may offer insight into
current debates on 'novel' ecosystems because of their artifice, their
longevity in the landscape particularly in remote or exposed regions, and their
morphology. In a review of the available, published literature in Europe, it
was found that no publications exist that examine or illustrate specific
ecological characteristics of field boundary stone walls, despite this
longevity. Using examples from Ireland, where these structures are locally
abundant, this paper aims first to draw attention to the poorly representative literature
on this topic, and thus stimulate research that will detail the potential
ecological characteristics of these ancient forms of field boundary. It then
briefly explores the potential for these walls to be considered as 'novel'
ecosystems within current debates on the issue.