A 2860-year high-resolution pollen and charcoal record from the Cordillera de Talamanca in Panama: a history of human and volcanic forest disturbance

Abstract

Late-Holocene vegetational disturbance by human and volcanic activity in the lower montane rain forest region of Cordillera de Talamanca, Province of Chiriqui in Panama, have been studied on the sedimentary archive from Laguna Volcán (1500 m elevation). The pollen and charcoal record, dated by four radiocarbon AMS dates, provides evidence of Amerindian occupation and strong impact on the lower montane rain forest region since the beginning of the record at 2860 14C yr BP. There is evidence of at least three eruptions of Volcán Barú, which affected the study region at 1800, 1000 and 500 14C yr BP. The first two events had apparently relatively little effects, while the latest volcanic eruption, which deposited a 20 cm thick tephra layer in the studied lake, had a catastrophic impact. Amerindian life and culture of the study area was destroyed. After the last eruption the montane rain forest recovered markedly, fires were rare and agriculture activity stopped in the surroundings of the lake, suggesting that Amerindians left the region.