The researchers found a major reduction of huarango pollen, indicating that people started clearing the forests to plant more crops. But the agricultural gain from clearing forests was short-lived. When a mega El Nino event hit the south coast of Peru in about 500 A.D., there were no huarango roots to anchor the landscape. The fields and canal systems were washed away, leaving a desert environment. Today, only pollen from plants adapted to salty and arid conditions can be found, Chepstow-Lusty said. "The bottom line is that the Nazca could have survived the devastating El Nino floods had they kept their forests alive. Basically, the huarango trees would have cushioned that major event," Beresford-Jones said. According to the researchers, some important lessons can be learned today from the Nazca's disastrous environmental strategies. Indeed a similar scenario threatens Peru as the few remaining pockets of old-growth huarango trees on the south coast are being cleared by illegal charcoal burning. "With most of Peru's glaciers predicted to disappear by 2050, the Andes need trees to capture the moisture coming from Amazonia. A major program of reforestation is desperately required both in the Andes and on the coast " Chepstow-Lusty said. Related Links: View a slide show about the Nazca people WATCH: Jared Diamond on Why Societies Collapse TreeHugger.com: Mayans Were Environmentalists 3,000 Years Ago |
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