Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil.
Past human societies have left persistent marks on forests worldwide. However, the degree to which pre-colonial Amerindian societies have affected forest structure is still not fully understood, especially in southern Brazil. This study investigated the influence of two distinct Amerindian groups (S...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235819 |
| _version_ | 1818551578998603776 |
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| author | Aline Pereira Cruz Eduardo Luiz Hettwer Giehl Carolina Levis Juliana Salles Machado Lucas Bueno Nivaldo Peroni |
| author_facet | Aline Pereira Cruz Eduardo Luiz Hettwer Giehl Carolina Levis Juliana Salles Machado Lucas Bueno Nivaldo Peroni |
| author_sort | Aline Pereira Cruz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Past human societies have left persistent marks on forests worldwide. However, the degree to which pre-colonial Amerindian societies have affected forest structure is still not fully understood, especially in southern Brazil. This study investigated the influence of two distinct Amerindian groups (Southern-Jê and Guarani) over tree composition of forest fragments in the State of Santa Catarina. Vegetation data was obtained from the Santa Catarina Forest and Floristic Inventory (SCFFI): a statewide systematic vegetation sampling project. Archaeological data was collated from literature reviews as well as existing databases for archaeological sites occupied by Guarani and Southern-Jê groups. Using these sites of known Amerindian occupation, and corresponding environmental variables, ecological niche models were developed for each Amerindian group, predicting potential archaeological sites occupied by these groups across southern Brazil. Maps of these potential occupation sites of pre-colonial Amerindian groups were compared with 417 corresponding floristic inventory plots. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to identify floristic composition patterns linked to areas with a high probability of Southern-Jê or Guarani presence. Southern-Jê and Guarani pre-colonial occupations overlapped near main rivers; however, Southern-Jê groups generally occupied elevated areas whereas Guarani occupied mostly coastal areas. We observed differences in forest composition associated with the predicted occurrence of these pre-colonial Amerindian groups. Based on these results, we argue there is a relationship between tree species distribution and pre-colonial human occupation by these two Amerindian groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:01:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46821329e346400fb102b01b34af5d11 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:01:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-46821329e346400fb102b01b34af5d112022-12-22T00:29:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01157e023581910.1371/journal.pone.0235819Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil.Aline Pereira CruzEduardo Luiz Hettwer GiehlCarolina LevisJuliana Salles MachadoLucas BuenoNivaldo PeroniPast human societies have left persistent marks on forests worldwide. However, the degree to which pre-colonial Amerindian societies have affected forest structure is still not fully understood, especially in southern Brazil. This study investigated the influence of two distinct Amerindian groups (Southern-Jê and Guarani) over tree composition of forest fragments in the State of Santa Catarina. Vegetation data was obtained from the Santa Catarina Forest and Floristic Inventory (SCFFI): a statewide systematic vegetation sampling project. Archaeological data was collated from literature reviews as well as existing databases for archaeological sites occupied by Guarani and Southern-Jê groups. Using these sites of known Amerindian occupation, and corresponding environmental variables, ecological niche models were developed for each Amerindian group, predicting potential archaeological sites occupied by these groups across southern Brazil. Maps of these potential occupation sites of pre-colonial Amerindian groups were compared with 417 corresponding floristic inventory plots. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to identify floristic composition patterns linked to areas with a high probability of Southern-Jê or Guarani presence. Southern-Jê and Guarani pre-colonial occupations overlapped near main rivers; however, Southern-Jê groups generally occupied elevated areas whereas Guarani occupied mostly coastal areas. We observed differences in forest composition associated with the predicted occurrence of these pre-colonial Amerindian groups. Based on these results, we argue there is a relationship between tree species distribution and pre-colonial human occupation by these two Amerindian groups.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235819 |
| spellingShingle | Aline Pereira Cruz Eduardo Luiz Hettwer Giehl Carolina Levis Juliana Salles Machado Lucas Bueno Nivaldo Peroni Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. PLoS ONE |
| title | Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. |
| title_full | Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. |
| title_fullStr | Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. |
| title_short | Pre-colonial Amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern Brazil. |
| title_sort | pre colonial amerindian legacies in forest composition of southern brazil |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235819 |
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