The high canopy tropical rainforest, famous for its complexity and biodiversity, is the focus of contemporary research and conservation. Many scholars and the public consider the mature, tropical rainforest to be the ideal natural state of Amazonia, a classic wilderness. In succession theory, mature rainforest is assumed to be the climax community in stable equilibrium. Because these rainforests are relatively devoid of humans today, one might assume that biodiversity is highest in environments undisturbed by humans.
Amazonia-as-wilderness is an example of the Myth of the Pristine Environment (Denevan 1992), the belief that the environments of the Americas were relatively untouched by humans prior to European conquest. Native people are believed to have been too few in number, technologically limited, or living harmoniously with the Earth to significantly impact nature. The assumption is also based on the Myth of the Noble Savage (or Ecological Indian)—that past and present native people lived in harmony with nature until Europeans and modern world systems arrived, which negatively and permanently transformed the previously pristine environment (Redford 1991).
Archaeologists, however, have demonstrated that much of Amazonia was occupied by dense populations of urbanized societies practicing intensive agriculture that significantly contributed to creating the environment that is appreciated today (Denevan 1992;
Erickson 2006; Heckenberger 2005; Lehmann et al. 2003; Stahl 1996). Scholars now argue that much of the tropical rainforest is the result of a “rebound effect” created by the removal of these people and their activities by European diseases, civil wars, ethnocide, slavery, and resource expropriation. Without the insights of historical ecology, Amazonia is easily misinterpreted as pristine wilderness.
Contrary to popular notions, Amazonia is diverse in environments and was probably more so in the past. While rainforest covers approximately one third of the region, the majority of Amazonia is deciduous forest, palm forest, liana forest, forest island, savanna, and wetland (Goulding et al. 2003; Moran 1993; Smith 1999). Other classic distinctions include riverine (vdrzea) vs. upland (terra firme) and white, clear, and black water rivers.
In addition, historical ecologists argue that much of Amazonia’s diverse ecological patchwork of diverse habitats is anthropogenic and historical (Posey and Balee 1989; Balee and Erickson 2006a). Before the native population collapse after 1492, archaeologists show that much of Amazonia was transformed by burning, settlement, roads, agriculture, and agroforestry into forest clearings, savannas, parkland, countryside, and forest islands (Denevan 1992, 2001; Erickson 2006; Heckenberger 2005; Heckenberger et al. 2003; Posey 2004; Stahl 2006). The “natural” fauna and flora composition were replaced by anthropogenic formations. Amazonia had fewer trees five hundred years ago and the existing forests were more similar to gardens, orchards, and game preserves than wilderness.
World History
