Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T20:19:00.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Interactions Between Human Activity, Volcanic Eruptions and Vegetation During the Holocene at Garua and Numundo, West New Britain, PNG

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

W.E. Boyd
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia
C.J. Lentfer
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia
J. Parr
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia

Abstract

This paper reviews recent fossil phytolith analysis from wet tropical West New Britain (Papua New Guinea). The Holocene vegetation has been influenced by spatially and temporally diverse patterns of both prehistoric human settlement and catastrophic volcanic events. We have hypothesized different landscape responses and recovery pathways to events during the last six millennia. Phytolith sequences on the coastal lowlands, the Willaumez Peninsula, and nearby island of Garua provide details of vegetational change and human interactions at different landscape scales since c. 5900 cal yr B.P. During this period four major volcanic eruptions (c. 5900, 3600, 1700 and 1400 cal yr B.P.) have disrupted the landscape. The evidence provides detailed descriptions of temporal and spatial patterning in the impacts and changes in the vegetation. In particular, vegetation responded differently from one event to another, reflecting both forest recovery from seed bank and shooting, and the influence of prehistoric people on recovering vegetation. Furthermore, after some events landscape recovery was moderately uniform, while after others there was considerable landscape partitioning. Although these differences largely relate to airfall tephra type, distribution and magnitude, the partitioning is more strongly influenced by human activity.

Type
Special issue articles
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Araho, N., Torrence, R., and White, P. (2002). Valuable and useful: mid-holocene stemmed obsidian artefacts from West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 68, 6181.Google Scholar
Barton, H., Fullager, R., and Torrence, R. (1998). Clues to stone tool function re-examined: comparing starch grain frequencies on used and unused obsidian artefacts. Journal of Archaeological Science 25, 12311238.Google Scholar
Berglund, B.E. (1986). Handbook of Palaeoecology and Palaeohydrology. Wiley, Chichester.Google Scholar
Bowdery, D., Hart, D., Lentfer, C.F., and Wallis, L. (2001). The universal phytolith key.Meunier, J.D., and Colin, F. The Phytoliths. Applications in Earth Science and Human History. Cerege, France.267278.Google Scholar
Boyd, W.E., and Torrence, R. (1996). Periodic erosion and human land use on Garua Island. PNG: a progress report. Tempus 6, 265274.Google Scholar
Boyd, W.E., Lentfer, C.J., and Torrence, R. (1998). Phytolith analysis for a wet tropics environment: methodological issues and implications for the archaeology of Garua Island, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Palynology 22, 213228.Google Scholar
Boyd, W.E., Lentfer, C.J., and Luker, G.O. (1999a). )Environmental impacts of major catastrophic Holocene volcanic eruption in New Britain, P.N.G.: a preliminary model for palaeoenvironmental change.Kesby, J.A., Stanley, J.M., McLean, R.F., Olive, L.J. Geodiversity: Readings in Australian Geography at the Close of the 20th Century. School of Geography and Oceanography Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra.361372.Google Scholar
Boyd, W.E., Webb, J., and Specht, J. (1999b). )Holocene shoreline change and the archaeology of the Kandrian coast of West New Britain, Papua New Guinea Hall, J., and McNiven, I.J. Australian Coastal Archaeology: Current Research and Future Directions. ANH Publications, Canberra.283289.Google Scholar
Cronin, S.J., and Neall, V.E. (2000). Impacts of volcanism on pre-European inhabitants of Taveuni, Fiji. Bulletin of Volcanology 62, 199213.Google Scholar
Duar, P.P. (1999). New Britain Palm Oil Limited Environmental Plan: Kulu-Dagi and Inland Kove Oil Palm Project. Environmental Management and Monitoring (PNG) Ltd., Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Floyd, A. (1954). Final report on ethnobotanical expedition–West Nakanai New Britain–July–August 1954.Lae, Dept. of Forests:20 pp., Appendix 1–2.Google Scholar
Hart, D.M., and Humphreys, G.S. (1996). The Mobility of Phytoliths in Soils; Pedological Considerations. First European Meeting on Phytolith Research Centro de Clencias Medioambientales, Madrid, Spain.93 Google Scholar
Henty, E.E. (1969). A manual of New Guinea grasses. Botany Bulletin 1. Department of Forests, Lae, Papua New Guinea.215 pp.Google Scholar
Hore-Lacey, I. (1992). Commander Dyson Hore-Lacey 1897–1992. Edited and Collated Reminiscences. Ian Hore-Lacy, Mont Albert, Victoria.Google Scholar
Horrocks, M., and Walsh, A.J. (1998). Forensic palynology: assessing the value of the evidence. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 103, 6974.Google Scholar
L.C.F., Jago, W.E., Boyd in press.The Big Bang! Again and Again and Again.How Wet Tropical Rainforest Copes with Repeated Volcanic Destruction (this volume).Google Scholar
Johnson, R.W. (1976). Volcanism in Australasia. Elsevier, Oxford.Google Scholar
Kealhofer, L., and Piperno, D. (1998). Opal Phytoliths in Southeast Asian Flora vol. 88, Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, Washington DC.139.Google Scholar
Kealhofer, L., Torrence, R., and Fullagar, R. (1999). Integrating phytoliths within use-wear/residue studies of stone tools. Journal of Archaeological Science 26, 527547.Google Scholar
Lees, C.M., and Neall, V.E. (1993). Vegetation response to volcanic eruptions on Egmont Volcano, New Zealand, during the last 1500 years. Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand 23, 2 91127.Google Scholar
Lentfer, C. (2003). Plants, People and Landscapes in Prehistoric Papua New Guinea: A Compendium of Phytolith (and Starch) Analysis.Unpublished PhD thesis,Southern Cross University, Lismore.Google Scholar
Lentfer, CJ., and Boyd, W.E. (1998). A comparison of three methods for the extraction of phytoliths from sediments. Journal of Archaeological Science 25, 11591183.Google Scholar
Lentfer, C.J., and Boyd, W.E. (1999). An assessment of techniques for the deflocculation and removal of clays from sediments used in phytolith analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 26, 3144.Google Scholar
Lentfer, C.J., and Boyd, W.E. (2000). Simultaneous extraction of phytoliths, pollen and spores from sediments. Journal of Archaeological Science 27, 363372.Google Scholar
Lentfer, C., and Boyd, W.E. (2001). Maunten Paia: Volcanoes People and Environment: The 1994 Rabaul Eruptions. Southern Cross Univ. Press, Lismore.Google Scholar
Lentfer, C.J., Cotter, M.M., and Boyd, W.E. (2003). Particle settling times for gravity sedimentation and centrifugation: a practical guide for palynologists. Journal of Archaeological Science 30, 149168.Google Scholar
Machida, H., Blong, R.J., Specht, J., Moriwaki, H., Torrence, R., Hayakawa, Y., Talai, B., Lolok, D., and Pain, C.F. (1996). Holocene explosive eruptions of Witori and Dakataua caldera volcanoes in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Quaternary International 34–36, 6578.Google Scholar
Madella, M., Alexandre, M., and Ball, T.B. (2003). International code for phytolith nomenclature 1.0. The Phytolitharien 15, 1 716.Google Scholar
Paijmans, K. (1973). Plant succession on Pago and Witori volcanoes, New Britain. Pacific Science 27, 3 260268.Google Scholar
J.F., Parr (1999). The Spatial Patterning of Palaeo-Forest Disturbance at an Archaeological Site on Garua Island, West New Britain, as Indicated by Fossil Phytoliths.Resource Science and Management.Lismore, Southern Cross University, Unpublished, BAppSc, Honours Thesis.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F. (2002). A comparison of heavy liquid floatation and microwave digestion techniques for the extraction of fossil phytoliths from sediments. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 120, 3–4 315336.Google Scholar
J.F., Parr (2003). A Study of Palaeo-Landscapes in The Numundo Region of West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, as Indicated by Fossil Phytolith Analysis.PhD. Dissertation,Southern Cross University, Lismore.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F. (2004). Morphometric and visual fossil phytolith identification using a regionally specific digital database. Phytolitharian 16, 2 210.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F., and Farrugia, K. (2003). Waste reduction and value adding during fossil phytolith extraction and palaeo-environmental analysis of volcanic sediments from West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, using microwave digestion and ICPMS. Terra Australis 15, 1930.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F., Dolic, V., Lancaster, G., and Boyd, W.E. (2001a). )A microwave digestion method for the extraction of phytoliths from herbarium specimens. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 116, 203212.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F., Lentfer, C.J., and Boyd, W.E. (2001b). )Spatial analysis of phytolith assemblages at an archaeological site in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Terra Australis 17, 125134.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F., Lentfer, C.J., and Boyd, W.E. (2001c). )A comparative analysis of wet and dry ashing techniques for the extraction of phytoliths from plant material. Journal of Archaeological Science 28, 875886.Google Scholar
Parr, J.F., Taffs, K.H., and Lane, C.M. (2004). A microwave digestion technique for the extraction of fossil diatoms from coastal lake and swamp sediments. Paleolimnology 31, 3 383390.Google Scholar
Peekel, P.G. (1984). Flora of The Bismark Archipelago for Naturalists. Trans. E.E. Henty, Forests Division of Botany, Lae, PNG.Google Scholar
Saulei, S.M. (1989). Abundance and diversity of germinating seeds in soils from forests of different ages in the Gogol Valley, Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 15, 1 2131.Google Scholar
Saulei, S.M., and Swaine, M.D. (1988). Rain forest seed dynamics during succession at Gogol, Papua New Guinea. Journal of Ecology 76, 11331152.Google Scholar
Saulei, S.M., Nakano, K., Kuduk, M., and Waikabu, J. (1992). An investigation of processes of grassland development and persistence in Papua New Guinea: a survey report of fallow vegetation around Lae. Kagoshima University Research Centre foe the South Pacific Occasional Papers 23, 920.Google Scholar
Stace, H.C.T., Hubble, G.D., Brewer, R., Northcote, K.H., Sleeman, J.R., Mulcahy, M.J., and Hallsworth, E.C. (1968). A Handbook of Australian Soils. Rellim Technica Publications, Glenside, South Australia.Google Scholar
Summerhayes, G.R., Bird, J.R., Fullagar, R., Gosden, C., Specht, J., and Torrence, R. (1998). Application of PIXE-PIGME to archaeological analysis of changing patterns of obsidian use in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.Shackley, S. Archaeological Obsidian Studies Plenum Press, New York.129158.Google Scholar
M.J., Therin (1994). Subsistence Through Starch: The Examination of Subsistence Changes on Garua Island, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, Through Extraction and Identification of Starch from Sediments.Unpublished BA (Hons) Thesis,University of Sydney, Sydney.Google Scholar
Therin, M., Fullagar, R., and Torrence, R. (1999). Starch in sediments: a new approach to the study of subsistence and land use in Papua New Guinea.Gosden, C., Hather, J. Change in Subsistence Systems Routledge, London.439462.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. (1996). Krakatau: The Destruction and Reassembly of an Island Ecosystem. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar
Thornton, I., Mawdesley, N.A., Partomihardjo, (2000). Persistence of biota on Anak Krakatau after a three year period of volcanic activity. Tropical Biodiversity 7, 1 2543.Google Scholar
Torrence, R. (1992). What is Lapita about obsidian? A view from the Talasea sources.Galipaud, J.C. Poteri Lapita et Peuplement Orstom, Noumea.111126.Google Scholar
Torrence, R. (2002a). )Cultural landscapes on Garua Island, Papua New Guinea. Antiquity 76, 766776.Google Scholar
Torrence, R. (2002b). )What makes a disaster?. A long-term view of volcanic eruptions and human responses in Papua New Guinea.Torrence, R., and Grattan, J. Natural Disasters and Cultural Change. Routledge, London.292402.Google Scholar
Torrence, R., and Stevenson, C.M. (2000). Beyond the beach: changing Lapita landscapes on Garua Island, Papua New Guinea.Anderson, A., Murray, T. Australian Archaeologist: Collected Papers in Honour of Jim Allen Coombs Academic Publishing, The Australian National University, Canberra.324345.Google Scholar
Torrence, R., and Summerhayes, G.R. (1997). Sociality and the short distance trader: intra-regional obsidian exchange in the Willaumez region, Papua New Guinea. Archaeology in Oceania 32, 7484.Google Scholar
Torrence, R., Specht, J., and Boyd, W.E. (1999). Archaeological Fieldwork on Numundo and Garu Plantations West New Britain, PNG. Division of Anthropology, Australian Museum, Google Scholar
Torrence, R., Pavlides, C., Jackson, P., and Webb, J. (2000). Volcanic disasters and cultural discontinuities in the Holocene of West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.McGuire, W.G., Griffiths, D.R., Handcock, P.L., Steward, I.S. The Archaeology of Geological Catastrophes Geological Society, Special Publications, London.225244.Google Scholar
Torrence, R., Neall, V.E., Doelman, T., Rhodes, E., McKee, C., Davies, H., Bonetti, R., Gugliemetti, A., Manzoni, A., Oddone, M., Parr, J., and Wallace, C. (2004). Pleistocene colonisation of the Bismarck Archipelago: new evidence from West New Britain. Archaeology in Oceania 39, 3 101130.Google Scholar
Turner, R., and Hurst, T. (2001). Factors influencing volcanic ash dispersal from the 1995 and 1996 eruptions of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand. Journal of Applied Meteorology 40, 1 5669.Google Scholar
White, P., Corneos, C., Neall, V., Boyd, W., and Torrence, R. (2002). FEA site, Boduna Island: Further investigations.Bedford, S., Sand, C., Burley, D. Fifty Years in the Field: Essays in Honour and Celebration of Richard Shutler Jr's Archaeological Career New Zealand Archaeological Society, Auckland.101107.Google Scholar
Whittaker, R.J., Bush, M.B., and Richards, K. (1989). Plant recolonization and vegetation succession on the Krakatau Islands, Indonesia. Ecological Monograph 59, 2 59123.Google Scholar
Whittaker, R.J., Jones, S.H., Partomihardjo, (1997). The rebuilding of an island rainforest assemblage: how disharmonic is the flora of Krakatau?. Biodiversity and Conservation 6, 16711696.Google Scholar