RESPONSE: Human Traits

Traditionally, tropical forests were considered challenging habitats that precluded early human habitation. Hence, old growth tropical forests were considered pristine habitats. Accumulating archaeological and ecological evidence has challenged this paradigm, although the consequences of early human settlement on tropical forest structure and resilience are still poorly understood. This project focuses on identifying long-term legacies of early human settlement in the tropical forests of Borneo, where human occupation dates back to at least 45,000 years. These legacies are studied using a combination of archaeological data synthesis, remote sensing and ecological fieldwork approaches.