Dynamics of South Brazilian Grasslands During the Late Quaternary

In many parts of southern Brazil, mosaics of grassland and forests are found, but little is known how this vegetation pattern has been formed. Are these mosaics partly natural or made by humans? Paleoecological information is needed for understanding the origin of these ecosystems. Data on development, dynamic and stability, their response to environmental change such as climate, and the role of human impact are also essential for conservation and management of the highly diverse mosaics of forest and grassland in southern Brazil. In this context, knowledge on the natural stage of the vegetation and the potential modifications by pre- and post-Columbian anthropogenic activity are also important. In this chapter, paleoecological and paleoenvironmental data based on pollen and charcoal analysis of radiocarbon-dated environmental archives from peat bogs from southern Brazil are used to provide an insight into past vegetation changes and fire history. This also improves our understanding of the modern vegetation and to develop conservation and management strategies for the grasslands in southern Brazil that today are strongly affected by anthropogenic changes.