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Evidence and Ecology of Historic Human Settlements in Kibale National Park, Uganda

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Abstract

Ecosystem conservation often focuses on protecting wild places, but many remote forests and expansive savannahs have a deep human history of ecosystem management. Here we document grinding stones in the center of a high conservation-value forest, Kibale National Park, Uganda, indicating a historic human presence. Grinding stones were found at a minimum density of one per 0.57 km2 and in a range of forest types. Ecological plots around grinding stones were dominated by late successional tree species, although forest structure was comparable to formerly logged areas of Kibale. Building a more comprehensive understanding of human land-use before 1932, when protection policies began, will help explain current habitat heterogeneity. Future work should combine archaeology and ethnography to study the history and lifestyle of people who lived in Kibale. Understanding the role of people in this forest—and the role of the forest in local cultures—may elucidate contemporary ecology.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the Uganda Wildlife Authority for permission to conduct research. We also thank the Makerere University Biological Field Station. For assistance identifying and documenting grinding stones, thanks to James Zahura, Alfred Tumusiime, Lawrence Ndangizi, Ambrose Twineomujuni, Brian Kamugyisha, and Braise Mugyisha. For additional advice and assistance, thanks to Isabelle Clark and Alinaitwe Izidol. For comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, we thank two anonymous reviewers. This project was inspired by the late Jerry Lwanga.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Nathan S. Chesterman

  2. Environmental Incentives, District of Colombia, Washington, USA

    Nathan S. Chesterman

  3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany

    Samuel Angedakin

  4. Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, Kamwenge District, Uganda

    Samuel Angedakin, Godfrey Mbabazi, James Tibisimwa & Aaron A. Sandel

  5. Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Aaron A. Sandel

  6. Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, 2201 Speedway, SAC 4.102, Mailcode C3200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Aaron A. Sandel

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  1. Nathan S. Chesterman
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Chesterman, N.S., Angedakin, S., Mbabazi, G. et al. Evidence and Ecology of Historic Human Settlements in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Hum Ecol 47, 765–775 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-019-00103-w

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