LAUSR

Abstract Using the concept of appropriation, the initial act of social metabolism, and other land use transition perspectives, this paper examines the land use transitions and landscape appropriation in the Colombian South Pacific region (CSP) across three historical periods: the Colonial period (16th–18th centuries), the opening of the liberal economy (19th century), and globalization (20th–21st centuries). Historical information on land uses and economic exchange in the CSP were synthesized in material flow models. Landscape appropriation increased in each period due to an increase in productive and extractive practices and the exchange of matter and energy. These processes were primarily driven by i) shifting environmental ideologies associated with different political regimes, ii) shifting labor relations, iii) population growth and new settlement patterns, iv) improvements in transportation and communication technologies, and v) the increase of the number and diversity of circulated goods.