Ecosystem impacts by the Ancestral Puebloans of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA

Centuries of resource extraction by the Ancestral Puebloans in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, significantly impacted local pinyon-juniper woodlands. Analysis of pollen and macrobotanical remains indicates that juniper trees, a slow-growing species, were decimated during the Bonito phase (AD 800-1140), contributing to environmental instability and resource scarcity. The study suggests that recurrent harvesting destabilized ecosystems, exacerbating challenges faced by the Ancestral Puebloans before their eventual departure. This research highlights the long-term ecological consequences of human resource use in ancient societies.

Lentz, D. L., Slotten, V., Dunning, N. P., Jones, J. G., Scarborough, V. L., McCool, J.-P., Owen, L. A., Fladd, S. G., Tankersley, K. B., Perfetta, C. J., Carr, C., Crowley, B., & Plog, S. (2021). Ecosystem impacts by the Ancestral Puebloans of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA. Plos One, 16(10), e0258369. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258369