Ravaged Planet. Scientists look to farmers from hundreds of years ago for clues to protecting the Amazon today. An international team of archaeologists and paleoecologists reports finding evidence that indigenous people, living in the savannas around the Amazonian forest hundreds of years ago farmed without using fire.
The finding suggests modern man could learn from his ancestors in seeking solutions to the mass deforestation of the Amazon. The researchers analyzed records of pollen, charcoal and plant remains stretching over a period of more than 2,000 years. Drawing on these record the team was able to create the first detailed picture of land use in the Amazonian savannas. They found that long before the arrival of the first Europeans, early inhabitants of the savannas constructed small agricultural mounds with wooden tools.
Amazon Families Finding Sustainable Alternatives to Deforestation. TNC is seeking solutions that encourage landowners to preserve forest while still making a good living.
Photo: TNC Editor’s Note: Rane Cortez works for The Nature Conservancy and is based in Belem, Brazil.