明清时期地方志与地方档案文献的的大量出现,将这一时段区域环境史诸要素的"分辨率"大大提高。以嘉陵江流域环境史为例,明清时期编纂的四川各府、州、县、厅志及其幸运保存迄今的《南部档案》和《巴县档案》中,保存着十分珍贵而很少被利用的环境史资料,如气候变迁、野生植物、动物的分布与变迁等。地方文献记载表明,明清时期嘉陵江流域出现过三次异常寒冷阶段。根据地方文献,可以厘清嘉陵江流域森林的分布状况和林木的种类等。
Local records and local archives appeared in large numbers during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which greatly improved the" resolving power"of the elements of regional environmental history in this period. Taking the environmental history of the Jialing River basin as an example, the records of prefectures , administrative divisions, counties and governmental departments in Sichuan compiled during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the well preserved Nanbu Archives and Ba County Archives keep the environmental history information that is very precious and seldom used , such as climate change, distribution and changes of wild plants and animals. The local literature records also show that three abnormal cold stages emerged in the Jialing River basin during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to the local literature , we can clarify forest distribution and kinds of forest trees in the Jialing River basin .