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Figel JJ, Botero-Cañola S, Lavariega MC, Luna-Krauletz MD. Overlooked jaguar guardians: Indigenous territories and range-wide conservation of a cultural icon. AMBIO 2022; 51:2532-2543. [PMID: 35723798 PMCID: PMC9583995 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01754-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous territories (ITs) are an integral component of global conservation strategies. We evaluate the range-wide overlap of ITs and the distribution of the jaguar (Panthera onca), a Neotropical apex predator with considerable cultural significance among Indigenous Peoples. We quantified overlap between protected areas (PAs) and ITs among: (1) jaguar range, (2) the species' core habitats, known as Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs), and (3) corridors connecting JCUs. We further evaluated deforestation rates between 2000 and 2020 among protected, unprotected, and indigenous portions of JCUs and corridors and compared jaguar density estimates among these land tenures. Our results indicate that ITs overlap 27.7% of jaguar range. South American JCUs and corridors, which comprise ~ 94% of jaguar distribution, experienced significantly less deforestation where ITs intersected PAs. We documented an unbalanced ratio of jaguar density estimates between indigenous and non-indigenous areas, highlighting the need for more representative sampling. Collaborative approaches for jaguar conservation, informed and guided by indigenous knowledge, can support more inclusive and effective monitoring that reduces dependence on external support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe J. Figel
- Laboratorio de Conservación Colombia, Crr. 81 N 48B-51, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Mario C. Lavariega
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional-Unidad Oaxaca, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Hornos 1003, Noche Buena, 71230 Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca México
| | - María Delfina Luna-Krauletz
- Instituto de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad de la Sierra Juárez, Av. Universidad s/n, 68725 Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca México
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2
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Nir N, Knitter D, Hardt J, Schütt B. Human movement and gully erosion: Investigating feedback mechanisms using Frequency Ratio and Least Cost Path analysis in Tigray, Ethiopia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245248. [PMID: 33544725 PMCID: PMC7864406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The cost of human movement, whether expressed in time, effort, or distance, is a function of natural and human related variables. At the same time, human movement itself, whether on land, air or sea, causes environmental cost. We are looking into the long-term environmental relationship of this interplay. Gullies-linear landforms, which dissect the landscape-are considered to be a cost for human movement, as they can form unpassable barriers destroying present path networks. On the other hand, human movement creates pathways, which flatten the surface and decrease the water permeability potential. This process results in runoff generation and possibly gully erosion. Accordingly, the spatial relationship between pathways and gullies is investigated. In the Tigray region of the Northern Ethiopian Highlands, gullies and pathways were mapped using remote sensing data. Frequency Ratio was used for assessing pathways as a variable affecting the location of gullies while Least Cost Paths were tested to evaluate the possible constraining impact gullies have on mobility. Based on these results, it is concluded that a positive feedback exists between the cost of human movement and gully erosion. We further discuss possible effects gullies may have had on trade, territory, and political affairs in Tigray. Consequently, we suggest that movement cost and gullying may not only hold strictly environmental or movement-related implications, but also socio-cultural ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Nir
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Knitter
- Department of Geography, Physical Geography, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jacob Hardt
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brigitta Schütt
- Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Fernández-Llamazares Á, López-Baucells A, Velazco PM, Gyawali A, Rocha R, Terraube J, Cabeza M. The importance of Indigenous Territories for conserving bat diversity across the Amazon biome. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Hamilton MJ, Walker RS, Buchanan B, Sandeford DS. Scaling human sociopolitical complexity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234615. [PMID: 32614836 PMCID: PMC7332085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human societies exhibit a diversity of social organizations that vary widely in size, structure, and complexity. Today, human sociopolitical complexity ranges from stateless small-scale societies of a few hundred individuals to complex states of millions, most of this diversity evolving only over the last few hundred years. Understanding how sociopolitical complexity evolved over time and space has always been a central focus of the social sciences. Yet despite this long-term interest, a quantitative understanding of how sociopolitical complexity varies across cultures is not well developed. Here we use scaling analysis to examine the statistical structure of a global sample of over a thousand human societies across multiple levels of sociopolitical complexity. First, we show that levels of sociopolitical complexity are self-similar as adjacent levels of jurisdictional hierarchy see a four-fold increase in population size, a two-fold increase in geographic range, and therefore a doubling of population density. Second, we show how this self-similarity leads to the scaling of population size and geographic range. As societies increase in complexity population density is reconfigured in space and quantified by scaling parameters. However, there is considerable overlap in population metrics across all scales suggesting that while more complex societies tend to have larger and denser populations, larger and denser populations are not necessarily more complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus J. Hamilton
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Robert S. Walker
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States of America
| | - Briggs Buchanan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States of America
| | - David S. Sandeford
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
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Fernández‐Llamazares Á, Garteizgogeascoa M, Basu N, Brondizio ES, Cabeza M, Martínez‐Alier J, McElwee P, Reyes‐García V. A State-of-the-Art Review of Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Pollution. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2020; 16:324-341. [PMID: 31863549 PMCID: PMC7187223 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous peoples (IPs) worldwide are confronted by the increasing threat of pollution. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature (n = 686 studies), we present the current state of knowledge on: 1) the exposure and vulnerability of IPs to pollution; 2) the environmental, health, and cultural impacts of pollution upon IPs; and 3) IPs' contributions to prevent, control, limit, and abate pollution from local to global scales. Indigenous peoples experience large burdens of environmental pollution linked to the expansion of commodity frontiers and industrial development, including agricultural, mining, and extractive industries, as well as urban growth, waste dumping, and infrastructure and energy development. Nevertheless, IPs are contributing to limit pollution in different ways, including through environmental monitoring and global policy advocacy, as well as through local resistance toward polluting activities. This work adds to growing evidence of the breadth and depth of environmental injustices faced by IPs worldwide, and we conclude by highlighting the need to increase IPs' engagement in environmental decision-making regarding pollution control. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:324-341. © 2019 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Fernández‐Llamazares
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Global Change and Conservation, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - María Garteizgogeascoa
- Global Change and Conservation, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Artec Forschungszentrum NachhaltigkeitUniversity of BremenBremenGermany
| | - Niladri Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental SciencesMcGill UniversityMontreal, QuebecCanada
| | | | - Mar Cabeza
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Global Change and Conservation, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Joan Martínez‐Alier
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia AmbientalsUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellatera, BarcelonaSpain
| | - Pamela McElwee
- Department of Human Ecology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, RutgersThe State University of New JerseyNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Victoria Reyes‐García
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia AmbientalsUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellatera, BarcelonaSpain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, BarcelonaSpain
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West CT, Moody AJ, Nébié EKI. Participatory Mapping with High-resolution Satellite Imagery: A Mixed method Assessment of Land Degradation and Rehabilitation in Northern Burkina Faso. JOURNAL OF ECOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 22:1-19. [PMID: 34650337 PMCID: PMC8513720 DOI: 10.5038/2162-4593.22.1.1261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Sahelian West Africa is a region that suffers from high population densities, frequent severe droughts, and enormous pressure on natural resources. Because of these challenges, it is the place where the term "desertification" was originally coined. Recently, however, experts have identified large zones of "greening" where the amount of vegetation exceeds what one would expect based on rainfall alone. This pattern is well documented, but its mechanisms remain poorly understood. This research employs participatory mapping linked with high-resolution satellite imagery to better understand the human role behind regional vegetation trends. Through a case study of three communities in northern Burkina Faso, this paper presents a pilot methodology for explicitly mapping perceived areas of both land degradation and rehabilitation. Combining participatory mapping exercises with standard image classification techniques allows areas of land degradation and rehabilitation to be precisely located and their extents measured for individual communities and their surrounding terroirs. Results of the spatial analysis show that the relative proportion of greening and browning varies among communities. In the case of Sakou, nearly 60 percent of its terroir is degraded. While in another, Kouka, this is 48 percent. This method also elicits perspectives of Burkinabè agro-pastoralists on the local land-use practices driving these twin environmental processes. Altogether, this case study demonstrates the analytical power of integrating ethnography and high-resolution satellite imagery to provide a bottom-up perspective on social-ecological dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Thor West
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Aaron J. Moody
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Walker RS, Hamilton MJ. Machine learning with remote sensing data to locate uncontacted indigenous villages in Amazonia. PeerJ Comput Sci 2019; 5:e170. [PMID: 33816823 PMCID: PMC7924550 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The world's last uncontacted indigenous societies in Amazonia have only intermittent and often hostile interactions with the outside world. Knowledge of their locations is essential for urgent protection efforts, but their extreme isolation, small populations, and semi-nomadic lifestyles make this a challenging task. METHODS Remote sensing technology with Landsat satellite sensors is a non-invasive methodology to track isolated indigenous populations through time. However, the small-scale nature of the deforestation signature left by uncontacted populations clearing villages and gardens has similarities to those made by contacted indigenous villages. Both contacted and uncontacted indigenous populations often live in proximity to one another making it difficult to distinguish the two in satellite imagery. Here we use machine learning techniques applied to remote sensing data with a training dataset of 500 contacted and 25 uncontacted villages. RESULTS Uncontacted villages generally have smaller cleared areas, reside at higher elevations, and are farther from populated places and satellite-detected lights at night. A random forest algorithm with an optimally-tuned detection cutoff has a leave-one-out cross-validated sensitivity and specificity of over 98%. A grid search around known uncontacted villages led us to identify three previously-unknown villages using predictions from the random forest model. Our efforts can improve policies toward isolated populations by providing better near real-time knowledge of their locations and movements in relation to encroaching loggers, settlers, and other external threats to their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Walker
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Marcus J. Hamilton
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
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Sarquis JA, Cristaldi MA, Arzamendia V, Bellini G, Giraudo AR. Species distribution models and empirical test: Comparing predictions with well-understood geographical distribution of Bothrops alternatus in Argentina. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10497-10509. [PMID: 30464822 PMCID: PMC6238127 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) estimate the geographical distribution of species although with several limitations due to sources of inaccuracy and biases. Empirical tests arose as the most important steps in scientific knowledge to assess the efficiency of model predictions, which are poorly rigorous in SDMs. A good approach to the empirical distribution (ED) of a species can be obtained from comprehensive empirical knowledge, that is, well-understood distributions gathered from large amount of data generated with appropriate spatial and temporal samples coverage. The aims of this study were to (a) compare different SDMs predictions with an ED; and (b) evaluate if fuzzy global matching (FGM) could be used as an index to compare SDMs predictions and ED. Six algorithms with 5 and 20 variables were used to assess their accuracy in predicting the ED of the venomous snake Bothrops alternatus (Viperidae). Its entire distribution is known, thanks to thorough field surveys across Argentina, with 1,767 records. ED was compared with SDMs predictions using Map Comparison Kit. SDMs predictions showed important biases in all methods used, from 70% sub-estimation to 40% over-estimation of ED. BIOCLIM predicted ≈31% of B. alternatus ED. DOMAIN predicted 99% of ED, but over-estimated 40% of the area. GLM with five variables calculated 75% of ED, while Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction showed ≈60% of ED; the last two presenting overpredictions in areas with favorable climatic conditions but not inhabited by the species. MaxEnt and RF were the only methods to detect isolated populations in the southern distribution of B. alternatus. Although SDMs proved useful in making predictions about species distribution, predictions need validation with expert maps knowledge and ED. Moreover, FGM showed a good performance as an index with values similar to True Skill Statistic, so that it could be used to relate ED and SDMs predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A. Sarquis
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
| | | | - Vanesa Arzamendia
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
- Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias (FHUC – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
| | - Gisela Bellini
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
- Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias (FHUC – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
| | - Alejandro R. Giraudo
- Instituto Nacional de Limnología (CONICET – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
- Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias (FHUC – UNL)Ciudad UniversitariaSanta FeArgentina
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Walker RS, Kesler DC, Hill KR. Are Isolated Indigenous Populations Headed toward Extinction? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150987. [PMID: 26954672 PMCID: PMC4783021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
At least 50 indigenous groups spread across lowland South America remain isolated and have only intermittent and mostly hostile interactions with the outside world. Except in emergency situations, the current policy of governments in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru towards isolated tribes is a “leave them alone” strategy, in which isolated groups are left uncontacted. However, these no-contact policies are based on the assumption that isolated populations are healthy and capable of persisting in the face of mounting external threats, and that they can maintain population viability in the long-term. Here, we test this assumption by tracking the sizes and movements of cleared horticultural areas made by 8 isolated groups over the last 10–14 years. We used deforestation data derived from remote sensing Landsat satellite sensors to identify clearings, and those were then validated and assessed with high-resolution imagery. We found only a single example of a relatively large and growing population (c. 50 cleared ha and 400 people), whereas all of the other 7 groups exhibited much smaller villages and gardens with no sizable growth through time. These results indicated that the smaller groups are critically endangered, and it prompts an urgent re-thinking of policies toward isolated populations, including plans for well-organized contacts that may help save lives and rescue isolated indigenous populations from imminent extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Walker
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: )
| | - Dylan C. Kesler
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California, United States of America
| | - Kim R. Hill
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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Olivero J, Fa JE, Farfán MA, Lewis J, Hewlett B, Breuer T, Carpaneto GM, Fernández M, Germi F, Hattori S, Head J, Ichikawa M, Kitanaishi K, Knights J, Matsuura N, Migliano A, Nese B, Noss A, Ekoumou DO, Paulin P, Real R, Riddell M, Stevenson EGJ, Toda M, Vargas JM, Yasuoka H, Nasi R. Distribution and Numbers of Pygmies in Central African Forests. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0144499. [PMID: 26735953 PMCID: PMC4711706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pygmy populations occupy a vast territory extending west-to-east along the central African belt from the Congo Basin to Lake Victoria. However, their numbers and actual distribution is not known precisely. Here, we undertake this task by using locational data and population sizes for an unprecedented number of known Pygmy camps and settlements (n = 654) in five of the nine countries where currently distributed. With these data we develop spatial distribution models based on the favourability function, which distinguish areas with favourable environmental conditions from those less suitable for Pygmy presence. Highly favourable areas were significantly explained by presence of tropical forests, and by lower human pressure variables. For documented Pygmy settlements, we use the relationship between observed population sizes and predicted favourability values to estimate the total Pygmy population throughout Central Africa. We estimate that around 920,000 Pygmies (over 60% in DRC) is possible within favourable forest areas in Central Africa. We argue that fragmentation of the existing Pygmy populations, alongside pressure from extractive industries and sometimes conflict with conservation areas, endanger their future. There is an urgent need to inform policies that can mitigate against future external threats to these indigenous peoples’ culture and lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Olivero
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain
| | - Julia E. Fa
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), CIFOR Headquarters, Bogor, Indonesia
- * E-mail:
| | - Miguel A. Farfán
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jerome Lewis
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barry Hewlett
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, United States of America
| | - Thomas Breuer
- Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Shiho Hattori
- Faculty of International Studies, Tenri University, Tenri City, Nara, Japan
| | | | | | - Koichi Kitanaishi
- Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi-shi Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Jessica Knights
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Naoki Matsuura
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Andrea Migliano
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Nese
- COOPI-Cooperazione Internazionale ONG Onlus, Milano–I, Italy
| | - Andrew Noss
- Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | | | | | - Raimundo Real
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain
| | - Mike Riddell
- Bioclimate, Research and Development, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mikako Toda
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Shimoadachi-cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - J. Mario Vargas
- Grupo de Biogeografía, Diversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Facultad de Ciencias, Málaga, Spain
| | - Hirokazu Yasuoka
- Faculty of Humanity and Environment, Hosei University, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert Nasi
- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), CIFOR Headquarters, Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Bogor, Indonesia
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Mortality from contact-related epidemics among indigenous populations in Greater Amazonia. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14032. [PMID: 26354026 PMCID: PMC4564847 DOI: 10.1038/srep14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
European expansion and contact with indigenous populations led to catastrophic depopulation primarily through the introduction of novel infectious diseases to which native peoples had limited exposure and immunity. In the Amazon Basin such contacts continue to occur with more than 50 isolated indigenous societies likely to make further contacts with the outside world in the near future. Ethnohistorical accounts are useful for quantifying trends in the severity and frequency of epidemics through time and may provide insight into the likely demographic consequences of future contacts. Here we compile information for 117 epidemics that affected 59 different indigenous societies in Greater Amazonia and caused over 11,000 deaths between 1875 and 2008, mostly (75%) from measles, influenza, and malaria. Results show that mortality rates from epidemics decline exponentially through time and, independently, with time since peaceful contact. The frequency of documented epidemics also decreases with time since contact. While previous work on virgin soil epidemics generally emphasizes the calamity of contacts, we focus instead on improvements through time. The prospects for better survivorship during future contacts are good provided modern health care procedures are implemented immediately.
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