Humans have been altering tropical forests for at least 45,000 years

(Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History) A new study, published in Nature Plants, counters the view that tropical forests were pristine natural environments prior to modern agriculture and industrialization. Moreover, humans have in fact been having a dramatic impact on such forest ecologies for tens of thousands of years, through techniques ranging from controlled burning of sections of forest to plant and animal management to clear-cutting.

from EurekAlert! - Archaeology http://ift.tt/2umPV3z