Archaeology ARC 130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Ben Schwartz, Overgrazing
Document Summary
The beginning of dr. marshall"s lecture was the same as her lecture in class. She began by discussing how ecologists traditionally saw pastoralists in the african savanna as a negative thing for the environment. For a long time, pastoralists were believed to increase the size of the desert through overgrazing and increase drought. Dr. marshall then went on to discuss how this traditional viewpoint is wrong and that pastoralists actually have a significantly positive effect on the african savanna. This positive effect stems from the fact that pastoralists penned their domesticated animals at night, which led to a lot of animal dung in one place. Animal dung fertilized the ground, adding nutrients and making it easier for plants to grow. This resulted in open grassy areas surrounding the nutrient hotspot that could last for thousands of years. Dr. marshall then went on to discuss what the mechanisms are that prolong the positive effects of pastoralists.
