The Savannization of Moist Forests in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

Background

This study in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta seeks to determine if savannas are natural or caused by anthropogenic factors. The authors use climate data from the past and present, the location of vegetation, and land use history to test their hypothesis.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The climatic data suggests that the region should be covered in various types of forest, while the soil data confirms that the soil is similar to other savanna areas, but much poorer than soil in the forested areas of this region. While analyzing the historical data, the authors discovered a long history of agriculture in the area. In some regions, forest was able to regenerate, but in many areas, the poor quality of the soil and the presence of fires prevent the regeneration of forests. The authors concluded that the savannas in this area were caused by anthropogenic factors, and regeneration of the forest would not be possible without human intervention.