The East European forest-steppe ecotone has changed over time due to climate and human influence. By studying pollen data and using statistical analysis, researchers found that the boundary of the forest-steppe moved over the last 7,000 years, with significant changes in the last 400 years due to agriculture. The ecotone is sensitive to climate change, with forest cover expanding in the late Holocene. The woodland in the ecotone shows high resilience to disturbances, possibly due to a natural fire regime. The findings provide valuable insights into the historical dynamics and natural composition of the forest-steppe ecotone in Eastern Europe.