Terra preta

The ecology of the Amazon rainforest is the result of 10,000 years of land management practiced by its peoples. They domesticated and cultivated plant species like the brazil nut, cacao and rubber trees. To sustain their towns and cities, they slashed and charred parts of the forest to create arable soils. This practice created “Terra preta” or “Amazonian dark earth” which is still found along the river basins. People abandoned these fertile soils when they fled from colonizers. The Amazon was not a “pristine” rainforest when colonizers arrived. It was (and is) a landscape enriched by the work of its peoples throughout millenia.