Paleoecological evidence of pre-contact human impacts on fire and vegetation in northern New York State, U.S.A.

The impacts of indigenous populations on fire and vegetation dynamics in North America prior to European contact are the subject of considerable debate. They have been overlooked by many researchers, but possibly given more emphasis than is due by others. Interpretations suffer from preconceptions regarding the nature of Native American activities and landscapes, shortages of paleoecological and archaeological data from key locations, and a tendency for researchers to not fully integrate available information. This study investigates the influence of pre-Contact inrugenous populations on fire and vegetation dynamics, using paleoecological evidence from lake sediment studies together with archaeological data.