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> Amazon was planted by natives several thousand years ago. Really? What was there when the natives first arrived? Is there somewhere I can read more about thi

by User23 4y ago

> Amazon was planted by natives several thousand years ago. Really? What was there when the natives first arrived? Is there somewhere I can read more about this stupendous continental scale triumph of pre-modern environmental engineering?

ciconia 4y ago
> Researchers have found that the fertile terra preta (black earth) is distributed over large areas in the Amazon forest. It is now widely accepted that these soils are a product of indigenous soil management. The development of this soil enabled agriculture and silviculture to be conducted in the previously hostile environment. Large portions of the Amazon rainforest are therefore probably the result of centuries of human management, rather than naturally occurring as has previously been supposed. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_America#Amazon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_America#Ama...
- Jensson 4y ago
  Still doesn't support the claim that they planted the Amazon forest, just that they lived there and altered it. The Amazon forest mostly doesn't have that soil. > Terra preta soils are found mainly in the Brazilian Amazon, where Sombroek et al.[21] estimate that they cover at least 0.1 to 0.3%, or 6,300 to 18,900 square kilometres (2,400 to 7,300 sq mi) of low forested Amazonia;[1] but others estimate this surface at 10.0% or more (twice the area of Great Britain).[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta
myshpa 4y ago
Sure, some links to get you started: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pristine-untouched-amazonian-rainforest-was-actually-shaped-humans-180962378/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pristine-untou... https://www.jstor.org/stable/1311432 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1311432 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os-ujelkgw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os-ujelkgw
nuc1e0n 4y ago
The Terra preta soil is indeed the product of man-made soil management. The trees just kinda grew up from lack of maintenance of these artificial systems.

by User23 4y ago

ciconia 4y ago

> Researchers have found that the fertile terra preta (black earth) is distributed over large areas in the Amazon forest. It is now widely accepted that these soils are a product of indigenous soil management. The development of this soil enabled agriculture and silviculture to be conducted in the previously hostile environment. Large portions of the Amazon rainforest are therefore probably the result of centuries of human management, rather than naturally occurring as has previously been supposed. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_America#Amazon https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_South_America#Ama...

Jensson 4y ago
Still doesn't support the claim that they planted the Amazon forest, just that they lived there and altered it. The Amazon forest mostly doesn't have that soil. > Terra preta soils are found mainly in the Brazilian Amazon, where Sombroek et al.[21] estimate that they cover at least 0.1 to 0.3%, or 6,300 to 18,900 square kilometres (2,400 to 7,300 sq mi) of low forested Amazonia;[1] but others estimate this surface at 10.0% or more (twice the area of Great Britain).[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta

myshpa 4y ago

Sure, some links to get you started: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pristine-untouched-amazonian-rainforest-was-actually-shaped-humans-180962378/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pristine-untou... https://www.jstor.org/stable/1311432 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1311432 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os-ujelkgw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os-ujelkgw

nuc1e0n 4y ago

The Terra preta soil is indeed the product of man-made soil management. The trees just kinda grew up from lack of maintenance of these artificial systems.