Cultures that have Collapsed due to Environmental Pressures Robby Buck

 Cultures that have Collapsed due to Environmental Pressures

Over the course of time, many civilizations once existed throughout the Amazon Basin. These societies did not build with traditional materials such as brick or stone; instead, they constructed structures primarily from mud bricks. Although sturdy, mud bricks decay relatively quickly in rainforest soils once abandoned, which caused many settlements to disappear over centuries. Most of these civilizations collapsed after exposure to diseases brought by European expeditions traveling up the Amazon River. Today, using LiDAR technology, we have finally rediscovered many of these lost settlements.

In addition, researchers have identified small- to medium-sized patches of extremely fertile soil throughout the Amazon Basin. Within these areas, known as terra preta, scientists have found a mixture of natural fertilizers, including fish bones, bone char, wood ash, and other organic materials. These additives enriched the soil, making it far more nutrient-dense than the naturally nutrient-poor soils found across most of the rainforest. It is believed that Indigenous peoples deliberately created these fertile zones to sustain agriculture and support their communities.

Some theories have also suggested possible interaction between South American civilizations and Polynesian voyagers. We know that Polynesians had established extensive trade routes across the Pacific, including contact with the Americas. Evidence indicates exchanges involving crops such as potatoes and animals like chickens. Polynesians settled as far east as Easter Island, approximately 3,780 kilometers from the Chilean coastline, and the Polynesian Triangle spans nearly 30 million square kilometers. Given their extraordinary seafaring abilities, it is not impossible that Polynesians reached the South American coast and may have interacted with Indigenous peoples there.

The environmental impacts of past rainforest civilizations illustrate how fragile ecosystems can be. In the rainforest, widespread deforestation can disrupt the entire water cycle. Through a process called transpiration, trees release excess water vapor from their leaves into the atmosphere, increasing humidity and cloud formation while also helping maintain high water tables. When forests are removed, atmospheric moisture decreases, cloud cover declines, rainfall becomes less frequent, and groundwater levels drop, causing the ecosystem to dry out and destabilize.

Easter Island serves as a powerful example of environmental degradation. Once heavily forested, the island was gradually stripped of its trees, largely due to intensive logging associated with transporting its famous stone statues. With no trees remaining to anchor the soil, heavy El Niño rains caused severe erosion. This left the island with shallow, rocky soil poorly suited for agriculture and reduced surface water availability, making survival difficult for inhabitants. Recent reforestation efforts, including the reintroduction of tree species such as the toromiro, have helped restore parts of the island’s landscape, but the damage remains evident.

Similarly, the ancient Maya civilization of Central America declined partly due to deforestation and overfarming, which degraded the rainforest ecosystem beyond its capacity to recover at the time. While the region’s forests have since regenerated to some extent, these historical examples emphasize that ecosystems have limits.

Although Earth has shown the ability to recover from human-caused damage, this healing takes centuries or longer. It is therefore our responsibility as humanity to protect fragile ecosystems and prevent widespread destruction before irreversible damage occurs.


Reference:

Handwerk, B. (2022, May 26). Lost cities of the Amazon discovered from the Air. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www-smithsonianmag-com.translate.goog/science-nature/lost-cities-of-the-amazon-discovered-from-the-air-180980142/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=bn&_x_tr_hl=bn&_x_tr_pto=tc  


Jauss, J. L. V. (n.d.-b). Terra Preta de Indio. Cornell University, Department of Crop and Soil Science. https://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/research/terra%20preta/terrapretamain.html  


 Krajick, K. (n.d.). What really happened on Easter Island?. Columbia Magazine. https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/what-really-happened-easter-island  


 NOAA (Ed.). (n.d.). Drought and the ancient maya civilization. Drought and the Ancient Maya Civilization. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/7%20Drought%20and%20the%20Ancient%20Maya%20Civilization%20-%20FINAL%20OCT%202021.pdf  


 Smithsonian Magazine. A DNA search for the first Americans links Amazon groups to indigenous Australians. (n.d.-a). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dna-search-first-americans-links-amazon-indigenous-australians-180955976/  


 Smithsonian Magazine. From sweet potatoes to DNA: New evidence supports links between South American and Polynesian cultures. Smithsonian Science Education Center. (2020, July 28). https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/sweet-potatoes-dna-new-evidence-supports-links-between-south-american-and  

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