The domestication of Amazon rainforests by pre-Columbian societies

背景：前哥伦布时代(公元1492年前)的人类社会在多大程度上将亚马逊从一片原始荒野转变为一片驯化的风景，这是热带生态学中最有争议的争论之一。亚马逊作为原始荒野的旧模式，几乎不受数千年人类占领的影响，近年来在亚马逊南部大部分地区发现了不朽的土方工程，这一点受到了挑战。然而，尽管这些古老的“土方”社会显然改变了他们的自然景观，但他们驯化森林的程度--例如通过焚烧、砍伐森林、农林业--仍存在很大争议。亚马逊热带雨林的生物多样性在多大程度上受到人类几千年的土地利用的影响，对于了解当前的生物多样性格局、雨林复原力和土地利用的可持续性具有重要意义。该项目的总体目标是确定前哥伦布社会对玻利维亚亚马孙热带雨林的影响--从砍伐森林的规模、火的使用和用经济上有用的物种丰富森林方面。途径和方法：本项目的重点是玻利维亚亚马逊河不朽的丘陵地区--热带雨林和季节性洪水泛滥的稀树大草原的镶嵌景观。学生将采用双重数据模拟方法：a)古生态学--将分析湖泊沉积岩心中的化石花粉和木炭，以重建过去约2000年前哥伦布时代森林影响的当地和区域历史；即与这种土丘建筑文化相关的森林砍伐规模和森林管理类型(如农林、火灾)。B)建模-将开发一个基于代理人的模型(使用NetLogo)，以深入了解这种古老文化驯化这些热带雨林的过程，以及这种古老土地利用的遗产在今天的森林中存在的程度。学生将使用他们的古生态数据，以及之前公布的古生态、考古和人类学数据，以及来自RAINFOR生态小区网络的植物区系数据，对模型进行参数化。培训机会：Mayle将提供基于野外和实验室的古生态技术培训，其中包括为期4周的玻利维亚亚马逊实地考察。Singarayer将提供基于代理的建模培训。如有需要，可通过相关的NERC高级培训短期课程获得进一步培训。这个博士项目是对一个规模更大的国际研究项目的补充，该项目名为“前哥伦布亚马逊地区的人与环境关系”(https://research.reading.ac.uk/herca/)，)，为学生提供了与英国、欧洲和南美洲的考古学家和古环境科学家合作的绝佳机会。

Background: The extent to which pre-Columbian (pre-AD1492) human societies transformed Amazonia from a virgin wilderness into a domesticated landscape is one of the most contentious debates in tropical ecology. The old paradigm of Amazonia as a pristine wilderness, little impacted by millennia of human occupation, has been challenged in recent years by remarkable discoveries of monumental earthworks across much of southern Amazonia. However, although it is clear that these ancient 'earthmoving' societies transformed their physical landscape, the extent to which they also domesticated their forests - e.g. via burning, deforestation, agroforestry - is highly contentious. The degree to which the biodiversity of Amazonian rainforests was shaped by millennia of human land use is highly relevant for understanding current patterns of biodiversity, rainforest resilience and land-use sustainability. The overall aim of this project is to determine the impact of Pre-Columbian societies upon Bolivian Amazonian rainforests - with respect to scale of deforestation, use of fire, and enrichment of forests with economically useful species. Approach and Methods: This project focuses on the monumental mound region of Amazonian Bolivia - a mosaic landscape of rainforests and seasonally-flooded savannas. A dual data-modelling approach will be undertaken by the student: a) Palaeoecology - fossil pollen and charcoal will be analysed from lake-sediment cores to reconstruct local- and regional-scale histories of pre-Columbian forest impact over the last ca. 2,000 years; i.e. scale of forest clearance and type of forest management (e.g. agroforestry, fire) associated with this mound-building culture. b) Modelling - an agent-based model will be developed (using NetLogo) to provide insights into the process by which this ancient culture domesticated these rainforests, and the extent to which a legacy of this ancient land use exists in today's forests. The student will parameterize the model using their palaeoecological data, together with previously published palaeoecological, archaeological and anthropological data, as well as floristic data from the RAINFOR ecological plot network. Training opportunities: Training in field- and lab-based palaeoecological techniques will be provided by Mayle, which will include a 4-week fieldtrip to the Bolivian Amazon. Training in agent-based modelling will be provided by Singarayer. Further training may be acquired via relevant NERC Advanced Training Short courses if need be. This PhD project complements a much larger international research project, entitled 'Human-Environment Relationships in pre-Columbian Amazonia' (HERCA) (https://research.reading.ac.uk/herca/), providing excellent opportunities for the student to collaborate with archaeologists and palaeoenvironmental scientists across the UK, Europe, and South America.