Persistent effects of pre-Columbian plant domestication on Amazonian forest composition

TLDR

Debate remains over how much pre‑Columbian societies reshaped Amazonian landscapes. The study mapped 85 domesticated woody species against archaeological sites across the Amazon basin to assess pre‑Columbian impacts. Domesticated species are five times more likely to be hyperdominant, and their relative abundance and richness increase near archaeological sites—especially in southwestern and eastern Amazonia—showing that modern tree communities are largely shaped by a long history of plant domestication.

Abstract

The extent to which pre-Columbian societies altered Amazonian landscapes is hotly debated. We performed a basin-wide analysis of pre-Columbian impacts on Amazonian forests by overlaying known archaeological sites in Amazonia with the distributions and abundances of 85 woody species domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples. Domesticated species are five times more likely than nondomesticated species to be hyperdominant. Across the basin, the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species increase in forests on and around archaeological sites. In southwestern and eastern Amazonia, distance to archaeological sites strongly influences the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species. Our analyses indicate that modern tree communities in Amazonia are structured to an important extent by a long history of plant domestication by Amazonian peoples.