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

Late-Holocene vegetational disturbance by human and volcanic activity in th e lower montane rain forest region of Cordillera de Talamanca, Province of Chiriqui in Panama, have been studied on the sedimentary archive from Lagun a Volcan (1500 m elevation). The pollen and charcoal record, dated by four radiocarbon AMS dates, provides evidence of Amerindian occupation and stron g impact on the lower montane rain forest region since the beginning of the record at 2860 C-14 yr BP. There is evidence of at least three eruptions o f Volcan Bani, which affected the study region at 1800, 1000 and 500 C-14 y r 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 o f the study area was destroyed. After the last eruption the montane rain fo rest recovered markedly, fires were rare and agriculture activity stopped i n the surroundings of the lake, suggesting that Amerindians left the region .