Seasonality and landscape management in the Bolivian Amazon : Landsat imagery analysis of the Quinato wetland
Keywords
Archaeology, GIS, Bolivia, Amazon, Agriculture, LANDSAT, remote sensing
Abstract
The Quinato wetland, a remnant of a Pleistocene river course through northeastern Bolivia, has undoubtedly been the site of human landscape modification and domestication by pre-Columbian peoples. A 2021 study suggests that these modification practices, which have been tied to seasonal adaptation, were quite different between areas of the wetland. In response to these findings, the present study uses unsupervised classifications from the 50-year span of existent Landsat satellite imagery data, dating from 1972 to 2022, to create a chronological profile of the wetland. This record allows for the assessment of how yearly, seasonal changes to wetland growth and shrinkage contribute to longer-term trends. No significant increase or decrease in wetland size overall is suggested by the data, although a distinct, common seasonal pattern is detectable. This data, narrowed to the two sites investigated in the previously mentioned study, shows a similar seasonal patterning as that of the larger wetland at these two sites, but also detects a greater stability in wetland area for the region that was first modified by pre-Columbian peoples.
Date Created
2022
Type
Field Report
Language
English
Number of Pages
61
College
College of Sciences
Department
Department of Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Beery, Jackie, and John H. Walker. “Seasonality and Landscape Management in the Bolivian Amazon : Landsat Imagery Analysis of the Quinato Wetland.” University of Central Florida, 2022. Print.