Native American depopulation, reforestation, and fire regimes in the Southwest United States, 1492–1900 CE
Native American depopulation, reforestation, and fire regimes in the Southwest United States, 1492–1900 CE
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美国西南部美洲原住民人口减少、重新造林和火灾状况，公元 1492 年至 1900 年
DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1521744113
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发表时间：
2016
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
T. Swetnam
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Matthew J. Liebmann;Joshua Farella;Christopher I. Roos;Adam Stack;Sarah Martini;T. Swetnam
关于公元1492年之后美洲原住民人口减少的规模、速度和生态影响的重大辩论构成了美国印第安人历史上一些最具争议性的问题。人口减少是不是迅速而灾难性的，其影响范围是否足以改变地球的大气层？或者，在欧洲殖民后，随着土著人口的缓慢下降，人口减少是不是更温和了？通过考古学和树状年代学的研究，我们得出结论，这两种情景都不能准确地描述美国西南部普韦布洛人的特征。在新墨西哥州的Jemez pueblos人中，人口减少迅速且不可挽回，但发生在与欧洲人第一次接触近一个世纪后。这场人口暴跌随后改变了当地的环境，刺激了树木的生长，并促进了频繁的森林火灾的蔓延。美洲原住民人口在公元1492年至1900年间下降，原因是欧洲人对美洲的殖民。然而，这种人口减少的规模、速度和生态影响仍然是持久争论的来源。最近，学者们将土著人口减少、新热带重新造林和火灾制度的转变与气候、大气和早期人类世假说的全球变化联系起来。根据这些研究，我们在美国西南部以针叶林为主的森林中评估了这些过程。我们比较了来自新墨西哥州杰梅兹省的光探测和测距数据、考古学、树木年代学和历史记录，以量化人口损失，确定人口减少事件的日期，并确定1492年至1900年间森林再生和火灾制度的范围和时间。我们提出了一个新的基于建筑遗迹的普韦布洛人口估计公式，并将该公式应用于杰梅兹省的18个考古遗址。对残存木材的树状年代学研究确定了这些地点的终端占领日期。通过将我们的结果与历史记录相结合，我们报告了杰梅兹省哥伦布之前和哥伦布后的人口动态模型。我们的结果表明，耶梅兹省的土著人口在欧洲殖民后减少了87%，但这种减少发生在首次接触近一个世纪后。人口减少也引发了1640至1900年间大规模地面火灾的频率增加。最终，这项研究说明了综合考古和古生态数据的质量，这些数据需要评估美洲原住民人口减少和欧洲人接触后的生态变化之间的联系。
Significance Debates about the magnitude, tempo, and ecological effects of Native American depopulation after 1492 CE constitute some of the most contentious issues in American Indian history. Was population decline rapid and catastrophic, with effects extensive enough to change even the earth’s atmosphere? Or was depopulation more moderate, with indigenous numbers declining slowly after European colonization? Through a study of archaeology and dendrochronology, we conclude that neither of these scenarios accurately characterizes Pueblo peoples in the Southwest United States. Among the Jemez pueblos of New Mexico, depopulation struck swiftly and irrevocably, but occurred nearly a century after first contact with Europeans. This population crash subsequently altered the local environment, spurring the growth of trees and facilitating the spread of frequent forest fires. Native American populations declined between 1492 and 1900 CE, instigated by the European colonization of the Americas. However, the magnitude, tempo, and ecological effects of this depopulation remain the source of enduring debates. Recently, scholars have linked indigenous demographic decline, Neotropical reforestation, and shifting fire regimes to global changes in climate, atmosphere, and the Early Anthropocene hypothesis. In light of these studies, we assess these processes in conifer-dominated forests of the Southwest United States. We compare light detection and ranging data, archaeology, dendrochronology, and historical records from the Jemez Province of New Mexico to quantify population losses, establish dates of depopulation events, and determine the extent and timing of forest regrowth and fire regimes between 1492 and 1900. We present a new formula for the estimation of Pueblo population based on architectural remains and apply this formula to 18 archaeological sites in the Jemez Province. A dendrochronological study of remnant wood establishes dates of terminal occupation at these sites. By combining our results with historical records, we report a model of pre- and post-Columbian population dynamics in the Jemez Province. Our results indicate that the indigenous population of the Jemez Province declined by 87% following European colonization but that this reduction occurred nearly a century after initial contact. Depopulation also triggered an increase in the frequency of extensive surface fires between 1640 and 1900. Ultimately, this study illustrates the quality of integrated archaeological and paleoecological data needed to assess the links between Native American population decline and ecological change after European contact.