Contemporary human uses of forested watersheds and riparian corridors: hazard mitigation as an ecosystem service, with examples from Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela

Summary

Humans have long favored settlement along rivers for access to water supply for drinking and agriculture, transport corridors, and food sources. Settlement in or near montane forests include benefits such as food and wood supply, and high quality water resources derived from watersheds where upstream human disturbance and environmental degradation is generally reduced. However, the advantages afforded by these floodplain and montane settings pose episodic risks for communities located there as floods, landslides, and wildfires cause loss of life, and destroy infrastructure and crops. Understanding of flood probability and magnitude as well as hillslope stability by residents in these environments mitigates these risks. Early humans presumably developed a basic understanding through long periods of occupation and environmental observation of rainfall patterns and river discharge. Modern global urbanization, particularly in regions of rapid economic growth, has resulted in much of this "organic" knowledge being lost, as megacities encroach on floodplains and mountain fronts. Moreover, the most likely occupants of these hazardous locations are often economically constrained, increasing their vulnerabity. Effective stewardship of river floodplains and upstream montane forests provides a key ecosystem service, which in addition to the well-described services, ie. water, hydroelectric energy, etc., reduces natural hazard and vulnerability.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Forests of Plenty: Ethnographic and Archaeological Rainforests as Hotspots of Human Activity

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