Abstract
The terrain within the Lake Titicaca Basin in the Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia is a highly human-modified landscape. Archaeological investigations document that massive landscape modifications were undertaken throughout prehistory in order to intensively cultivate marginal lands. The paper focuses on raised fields, large earthen platforms which prevent waterlogging and flooding, increase soil fertility, conserve moisture, insure nutrient production and recycling, and improve crop microclimates. The environmental implications of the construction of over 82,000 hectares of raised fields for local vegetation, microclimate, soils, sedimentation, and hydrology are examined. The reuse of raised field agricultural technology to solve some problems of current land management is also discussed.
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The author would like to thank Virginia Abernethy, Dan A. Brinkmeier, Kay L. Candler, William M. Denevan, Timothy A. Kohler for constructive comments on this paper. I would especially like to thank Timothy Kohler for the opportunity to participate in the AAAS symposium and the other participants for a stimulating interchange of ideas on past environmental management.
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Erickson, C.L. Prehistoric landscape management in the Andean highlands: Raised field agriculture and its environmental impact. Popul Environ 13, 285–300 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01271028
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01271028