A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management

Abstract The functioning and productivity of pre-Columbian raised fields (RFs) and their role in the development of complex societies in Amazonian savannas remain debated. RF agriculture is conducted today in the Congo Basin, offering an instructive analogue to pre-Columbian RFs in Amazonia. Our stu...

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Autores principales:	Leonor Rodrigues, Tobias Sprafke, Carine Bokatola Moyikola, Bernard G. Barthès, Isabelle Bertrand, Marion Comptour, Stéphen Rostain, Joseph Yoka, Doyle McKey
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2020
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/52b90a61918043bfae3b3f52b7a2bb45
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:52b90a61918043bfae3b3f52b7a2bb452021-12-02T16:32:12ZA Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management10.1038/s41598-020-67467-82045-2322https://doaj.org/article/52b90a61918043bfae3b3f52b7a2bb452020-07-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67467-8https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract The functioning and productivity of pre-Columbian raised fields (RFs) and their role in the development of complex societies in Amazonian savannas remain debated. RF agriculture is conducted today in the Congo Basin, offering an instructive analogue to pre-Columbian RFs in Amazonia. Our study of construction of present-day RFs documents periodic addition of organic matter (OM) during repeated field/fallow cycles. Field investigations of RF profiles supported by spectrophotometry reveal a characteristic stratigraphy. Soil geochemistry indicates that the management of Congo RFs improves soil fertility for a limited time when they are under cultivation, but nutrient availability in fallow RFs differs little from that in uncultivated reference topsoils. Furthermore, examination of soil micromorphology shows that within less than 40 years, bioturbation almost completely removes stratigraphic evidence of repeated OM amendments. If Amazonian RFs were similarly managed, their vestiges would thus be unlikely to show traces of such management centuries after abandonment. These results call into question the hypothesis that the sole purpose of constructing RFs in pre-Columbian Amazonia was drainage.Leonor RodriguesTobias SprafkeCarine Bokatola MoyikolaBernard G. BarthèsIsabelle BertrandMarion ComptourStéphen RostainJoseph YokaDoyle McKeyNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Leonor Rodrigues Tobias Sprafke Carine Bokatola Moyikola Bernard G. Barthès Isabelle Bertrand Marion Comptour Stéphen Rostain Joseph Yoka Doyle McKey A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
description	Abstract The functioning and productivity of pre-Columbian raised fields (RFs) and their role in the development of complex societies in Amazonian savannas remain debated. RF agriculture is conducted today in the Congo Basin, offering an instructive analogue to pre-Columbian RFs in Amazonia. Our study of construction of present-day RFs documents periodic addition of organic matter (OM) during repeated field/fallow cycles. Field investigations of RF profiles supported by spectrophotometry reveal a characteristic stratigraphy. Soil geochemistry indicates that the management of Congo RFs improves soil fertility for a limited time when they are under cultivation, but nutrient availability in fallow RFs differs little from that in uncultivated reference topsoils. Furthermore, examination of soil micromorphology shows that within less than 40 years, bioturbation almost completely removes stratigraphic evidence of repeated OM amendments. If Amazonian RFs were similarly managed, their vestiges would thus be unlikely to show traces of such management centuries after abandonment. These results call into question the hypothesis that the sole purpose of constructing RFs in pre-Columbian Amazonia was drainage.
format	article
author	Leonor Rodrigues Tobias Sprafke Carine Bokatola Moyikola Bernard G. Barthès Isabelle Bertrand Marion Comptour Stéphen Rostain Joseph Yoka Doyle McKey
author_facet	Leonor Rodrigues Tobias Sprafke Carine Bokatola Moyikola Bernard G. Barthès Isabelle Bertrand Marion Comptour Stéphen Rostain Joseph Yoka Doyle McKey
author_sort	Leonor Rodrigues
title	A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
title_short	A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
title_full	A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
title_fullStr	A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
title_full_unstemmed	A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
title_sort	congo basin ethnographic analogue of pre-columbian amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/52b90a61918043bfae3b3f52b7a2bb45
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A Congo Basin ethnographic analogue of pre-Columbian Amazonian raised fields shows the ephemeral legacy of organic matter management

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