Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
First Advisor
Mark B. Bush
Second Advisor
Crystal McMichael
Third Advisor
Brooke Wheeler
Fourth Advisor
Richard B. Aronson
Abstract
The Ecuadorean Chocó is one of the most biodiverse tropical rainforest regions in the world, yet its long-term ecological legacies remain poorly understood. Past human settlement and influence modified ecological regimes in many neotropical forests, and it is suggested that the lasting changes wrought by those occupations - ecological legacies - continue to influence modern forests. In this study, I used phytoliths and charcoal to reconstruct the history of the local vegetation, and whether indicators of human activity have caused shifts in its composition. I also investigated whether large geographic and environmental gradients such as precipitation, distance to coast, or distance to rivers, were associated with patterns in the regional vegetation compositions. 20 of the 321 sub-samples surveyed contained charcoal, with three radiocarbon dates suggesting increased fire activity during c. 3000 – 2500 calibrated years before present. The abundances of palm generally increased over time across the regions, and the distribution of palm compositions was locally varied. All the regions indicated that ecological legacies had affected palm abundances, however the extent and duration of legacies varied by region, species affected, and the trajectory of change.
Recommended Citation
Deshmukh, Nakul Rahul, "Past Influences of Human Presence on the Population Density of Palm Species in the Chocó Region" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 1711.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/1711