Think Like an Environmental Scientist: Chapter 2 Rethinking the Fall of Easter I

Question

Think Like an Environmental Scientist: Chapter 2 Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island Identify the Problem: Easter Island (also called Rapa Nui) is a small island in the South Pacific about 3.o00 kilometers off the coast of Chile. The island is famously known for large stone statues, called moai, constructed by native settlers. The native inhabitants of Rapa Nui once had a large and prosperous society. The civilization eventually collapsed, however, leaving scientists to ponder the cause of its downfall. Many scientists believe that the native civilization's decline is due to environmental degradation. It is thought that the Rapa Nui's early inhabitants deforested the land for agriculture and wood and that this may have played a significant role in the society's downfall. However, there have been some conflicting accounts about the prehistory of Rapa Nui, particularly about the timing of human settlement and the period of deforestation that occurred. One view is that the first inhabitants arrived in 800-9oo A.D. and the population remained small for several hundred years. According to this view, significant deforestation did not occur until the population grew to a large size. However, it is also possible that humans arrived much later and widespread deforestation took place early on. Further, it is unclear whether humans were the greatest contributor to the deforestation of Rapa Nui. The presence of Polynesian rats (which where introduced by the early settlers) may have played a more significant role. A comparison of several scientific studies can help clarify these questions. Question Being Asked: The purpose of this study was to investigate when humans first settled on Rapa Nui, when the period of deforestation occurred, and the extent to which rats may have contributed to the deforestation process. Research Design and Methods Past scientific studies: Terry Hunt compared multiple past scientific studies with evidence of when deforestation occurred. Excavation study: In 2004 and 2005, Terry Hunt and his colleagues performed excavations at Anakena (a beach on Rapa Nui). This location was chosen because the researchers believed it was the site of the first settlement on the island. The researchers dug below the sand and collected the earliest human-related materials in the top 3 to 5 em of clay. They dated some of the samples using radiocarbon dating Impact of rats: Terry Hunt and his colleagues recorded the presence of Polynesian rat bones at Anakena. Hunt also reviewed evidence of how rats impacted the seeds of Jubaea palm trees (which were once common on the island) Results Past scientific studies: Terry Hunt found that the multiple studies had evidence that deforestation occurred around 1200 A.D. to 1650 AD. Below are the results of four studies Catherine Orliac found that the native inhabitants burned tree wood from 1300 A.D. to 1650 A.D., but grass afterward. She also found evidence that Jubaea palm shells associated with humans dated to after 1250 A.D Ecologists Andreas Mieth and Hans-Rudolf Bork argue that Jubaea palm had once covered much of the island and deforestation began in 128 A.D .Geologist Dan Mann and several colleagues used radiocarbon dating on pieces of charcoal from around the island. Their data suggest that deforestation took place between 1200 A.D. and 1650 A.D Excavation study: In 2004, Terry Hunt and his colleagues found several human-related materials from an excavated dune at Anakena. The researchers found several materials, including charcoal, rat bones, and obsidian shards. Radiocarbon dating of the oldest samples revealed that they were around 8oo years old, which implied that humans settled around 1200 A.D. Additional samples were collected from a different part of the dune in 2005. Radiocarbon dating of samples collected from this excavation corroborated the 2004 results: human occupation occurred around 1200 A.D Impact of Rats: Thousands of Polynesian rat bones were found at the Anakena site. Nearly all the seed shells of the Jubaea palm discovered on Rapa Nui had gnaw markings from rats.

Explanation / Answer

Ans_1=> (C) 1280 A.D

Ans'2=> Terry Hunt's findings suggested that widespread deformation occurred soon after human settlers first arrived on Raps Nhi.

Ans_3=> (b) False

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse T
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.