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Journal Article

Early anthropogenic impact on Western Central African rainforests 2,600 y ago

Authors

Garcin,  Yannick
External Organizations;

Deschamps,  Pierre
External Organizations;

Ménot,  Guillemette
External Organizations;

de Saulieu,  Geoffroy
External Organizations;

Schefuß,  Enno
External Organizations;

Sebag,  David
External Organizations;

Dupont,  Lydie M.
External Organizations;

Oslisly,  Richard
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/brademan

Brademann,  B.
5.2 Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, 5.0 Geoarchives, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Mbusnum,  Kevin G.
External Organizations;

Onana,  Jean-Michel
External Organizations;

Ako,  Andrew A.
External Organizations;

Epp,  Laura S.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/tjalling

Tjallingii,  Rik
5.2 Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, 5.0 Geoarchives, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Strecker,  Manfred R.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/brau

Brauer,  A.
5.2 Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, 5.0 Geoarchives, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/dsachse

Sachse,  D.
5.1 Geomorphology, 5.0 Geoarchives, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

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Citation

Garcin, Y., Deschamps, P., Ménot, G., de Saulieu, G., Schefuß, E., Sebag, D., Dupont, L. M., Oslisly, R., Brademann, B., Mbusnum, K. G., Onana, J.-M., Ako, A. A., Epp, L. S., Tjallingii, R., Strecker, M. R., Brauer, A., Sachse, D. (2018): Early anthropogenic impact on Western Central African rainforests 2,600 y ago. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 115, 3, 3261-3266.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1715336115


Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_3039889
Abstract
A potential human footprint on Western Central African rainforests before the Common Era has become the focus of an ongoing controversy. Between 3,000 y ago and 2,000 y ago, regional pollen sequences indicate a replacement of mature rainforests by a forest–savannah mosaic including pioneer trees. Although some studies suggested an anthropogenic influence on this forest fragmentation, current interpretations based on pollen data attribute the ‘‘rainforest crisis’’ to climate change toward a drier, more seasonal climate. A rigorous test of this hypothesis, however, requires climate proxies independent of vegetation changes. Here we resolve this controversy through a continuous 10,500-y record of both vegetation and hydrological changes from Lake Barombi in Southwest Cameroon based on changes in carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of plant waxes. δ13C-inferred vegetation changes confirm a prominent and abrupt appearance of C4 plants in the Lake Barombi catchment, at 2,600 calendar years before AD 1950 (cal y BP), followed by an equally sudden return to rainforest vegetation at 2,020 cal y BP. δD values from the same plant wax compounds, however, show no simultaneous hydrological change. Based on the combination of these data with a comprehensive regional archaeological database we provide evidence that humans triggered the rainforest fragmentation 2,600 y ago. Our findings suggest that technological developments, including agricultural practices and iron metallurgy, possibly related to the large-scale Bantu expansion, significantly impacted the ecosystems before the Common Era.