TY - JOUR

T1 - The influence of natural fire and cultural practices on island ecosystems

T2 - Insights from a 4,800 year record from Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

AU - Ravazzi, Cesare

AU - Mariani, Michela

AU - Criado, Constantino

AU - Garozzo, Lorena

AU - Naranjo-Cigala, Agustín

AU - Perez-Torrado, Francisco J.

AU - Pini, Roberta

AU - Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Alejandro

AU - Nogué, Sandra

AU - Whittaker, Robert J.

AU - Fernández-Palacios, José María

AU - de Nascimento, Lea

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Aim: Long-term ecological data provide a stepped frame of island ecosystem transformation after successive waves of human colonization, essential to determine conservation and management baselines. However, the timing and ecological impact of initial human settlement on many islands is still poorly known. Here, we report analyses from a 4800-year sedimentary sequence from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), with the goal of disentangling forest responses to natural fire from early human pressure on the island. Location: La Calderilla, a volcanic maar caldera at 1,770 m a.s.l. on Gran Canaria. Taxon: Plants and fungi. Methods: A core from the caldera infill was analysed for sediment properties, pollen, micro- and macrocharcoal, with radiocarbon and biochronology dating. Fossil data were statistically zoned and interpreted with the help of cross-correlation and ordination analyses. Surface samples and a pollen–vegetation training set were used as modern analogues for vegetation reconstruction. Results: Before human settlement (4,800–2,000 cal. yr bp), pine (Pinus canariensis) pollen dominated. Extensive dry pine forests characterized the highlands, although with temporary declining phases, followed by prompt (sub-centennial scale) recovery. Towards 2,280 cal. yr bp there was a shift to open vegetation, marked by an increase in coprophilous spores. Coincidental with independent evidence of human settlement in the pine belt (2,000–470 cal. yr bp) there was a decline of pine and a peak in charcoal. Following historic settlement (470–0 cal. yr bp), pollen producers from anthropogenic habitats, secondary vegetation and coprophilous fungi increased in abundance, reflecting higher pressure of animal husbandry and farming. Modern moss polsters reflect extensive reforestation since 1950 ce (Common Era). Main conclusions: From 4,800 cal. yr bp, the pristine vegetation covering the Gran Canaria highlands was a mosaic of dry pine forests and open vegetation. The pine forests sustained intense fires, which may well have promoted habitat diversity. Human interference was initiated around 2,280 cal. yr bp probably by recurrent cultural firing and animal husbandry, triggering a steady trend of forest withdrawal and expansion of grasses and scrubs, until the final disappearance of the pine forest locally in the 20th century. Grasslands were found to be of ancient cultural origin in the summit areas of Gran Canaria, although they underwent an expansion after the Castilian Conquest.

AB - Aim: Long-term ecological data provide a stepped frame of island ecosystem transformation after successive waves of human colonization, essential to determine conservation and management baselines. However, the timing and ecological impact of initial human settlement on many islands is still poorly known. Here, we report analyses from a 4800-year sedimentary sequence from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), with the goal of disentangling forest responses to natural fire from early human pressure on the island. Location: La Calderilla, a volcanic maar caldera at 1,770 m a.s.l. on Gran Canaria. Taxon: Plants and fungi. Methods: A core from the caldera infill was analysed for sediment properties, pollen, micro- and macrocharcoal, with radiocarbon and biochronology dating. Fossil data were statistically zoned and interpreted with the help of cross-correlation and ordination analyses. Surface samples and a pollen–vegetation training set were used as modern analogues for vegetation reconstruction. Results: Before human settlement (4,800–2,000 cal. yr bp), pine (Pinus canariensis) pollen dominated. Extensive dry pine forests characterized the highlands, although with temporary declining phases, followed by prompt (sub-centennial scale) recovery. Towards 2,280 cal. yr bp there was a shift to open vegetation, marked by an increase in coprophilous spores. Coincidental with independent evidence of human settlement in the pine belt (2,000–470 cal. yr bp) there was a decline of pine and a peak in charcoal. Following historic settlement (470–0 cal. yr bp), pollen producers from anthropogenic habitats, secondary vegetation and coprophilous fungi increased in abundance, reflecting higher pressure of animal husbandry and farming. Modern moss polsters reflect extensive reforestation since 1950 ce (Common Era). Main conclusions: From 4,800 cal. yr bp, the pristine vegetation covering the Gran Canaria highlands was a mosaic of dry pine forests and open vegetation. The pine forests sustained intense fires, which may well have promoted habitat diversity. Human interference was initiated around 2,280 cal. yr bp probably by recurrent cultural firing and animal husbandry, triggering a steady trend of forest withdrawal and expansion of grasses and scrubs, until the final disappearance of the pine forest locally in the 20th century. Grasslands were found to be of ancient cultural origin in the summit areas of Gran Canaria, although they underwent an expansion after the Castilian Conquest.

KW - ancient grasslands

KW - fire ecology

KW - forest disturbance

KW - human impact

KW - island ecology

KW - palaeoecology

KW - Pinus canariensis

KW - reforestation

U2 - 10.1111/jbi.13995

DO - 10.1111/jbi.13995

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85096754712

VL - 48

SP - 276

EP - 290

JO - Journal of Biogeography

JF - Journal of Biogeography

SN - 0305-0270

IS - 2

ER -