Anthropogenic transitions from forested to human-dominated landscapes in southern Macaronesia.

ABSTRACT: The extinction of iconic species such as the dodo and the deforestation of Easter Island are emblematic of the transformative impact of human colonization of many oceanic islands, especially those in the tropics and subtropics. Yet, the interaction of prehistoric and colonial-era colonists with the forests and forest resources they encountered can be complex, varies between islands, and remains poorly understood. Long-term ecological records (e.g., fossil pollen) provide the means to understand these human impacts in relation to natural change and variability pre- and postcolonization. Here we analyze paleoecological archives in forested landscapes of the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde, first colonized approximately 2,400 to 2,000 and 490 y ago, respectively. We demonstrate sensitivity to r

SUBMITTER: Castilla-Beltran A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8501805 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature