The legacy of post-Columbian disturbance in shaping a northwestern Amazonian forest

Bibliographic Data

ID12267271
AuthorsLina Cabrera Sáenz (0000-0002-8089-2031, Florida Institute of Technology, corresponding author), Crystal N H Mcmichael (0000-0002-1064-1499, University of Amsterdam), Meghan R O’Connor (Florida Institute of Technology), Nina H Witteveen (0000-0003-0214-4238, University of Amsterdam), Bianca Tacoronte Gomes (0000-0003-4291-6538, Florida Institute of Technology), Kayla Filjon (Florida Institute of Technology), Olivia John (Florida Institute of Technology), Braum Tokarski (Florida Institute of Technology), Larry C Peterson (0000-0002-5492-0385, University of Miami, FL, USA), Jack E Dibb (0000-0003-3096-7709, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA), Mark B Bush (0000-0001-6894-8613, Florida Institute of Technology), Mark Bush (Florida Institute of Technology)
Year2026
Volume36
Issue7
Pages760-769
Publication date2026-03-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Holocene (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-6836 • E-ISSN: 1477-0911
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/09596836261432449
OpenAlexW7144266284
LanguageEN
References cited82

The ecological legacies of past human activity in modern Amazonian forests remain debated. Paleoecology helps provide long-term insights into land management practices and their ecological consequences. We analyzed fossil pollen, charcoal, phytoliths, and sediment chemistry from Añangucocha, a lake in Ecuadorian Amazonia, identifying six distinct phases of cultural use over the last 1120 years. All past cultural uses influenced vegetation composition, but the most persistent impact resulted from the intensification of fire after c. 1620 CE. The last episode of fire activity occurred c. 1900 CE, and the forest remains in a state of succession. Our findings challenge the prevailing view that most ecological legacies in Amazonian forests derive from pre-Columbian land use. Instead, we highlight the dominant role of post-Columbian disturbances, particularly fire, in shaping modern forest composition

Amazon rainforest · Amazonian · Deforestation (computer science · Disturbance (geology · Fire ecology · Land use · Paleoecology · Vegetation (pathology · Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Indigenous Health and Education

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