| 8,100 ± 75 BP |
Oldest human bone remains in the coastal zone of RJ (Schmidt Dias 2004) |
Not specified |
| 4,000 BP to 1,500 BP |
Main period of Sambaqui expansion in the coastal zone of RJ (Beltrão 1978Beltrão MC. 1978. Pré-História do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Forense Universitária, SEEC - RJ, 278 p., Marinho et al. 2006Marinho ANR, Newton CM, Braz V, Ribeiro-dos-Santos AK and de Souza SMFM. 2006. Paleogenetic and taphonomic analysis of human bones from Moa, Beirada, and Zé Espinho Sambaquis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, 101(suppl. 2): 15-23., Mendonça et al. 2006Mendonça ML, Godoy JM, da Cruz RP and Perez RA. 2006. Radiocarbon dating of archaeological samples (sambaqui) using CO(2) absorption and liquid scintillation spectrometry of low background radiation. J Environ Radioactiv 88(3): 205-214.) |
Very low; mainly shell collecting and fishing, besides hunting and gathering, no slash and burn agriculture |
| Since 1,800 BP |
Tupi societies settle in the coastal area of RJ (Silva Noelli 2008). Settlements of 500 to 3,000 people. A village controlled at an average about 70 km2 of land (Drummond 1997Drummond JD. 1997. Devastação e Preservação Ambiental. Os parques nacionais do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Editora da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 306 p.) |
Low to medium in the coastal zone due to shifting cultivation (coivara), very low in the mountain area (hunting) |
| 1,500 AD |
Population density of ∼5 people per km2 in the coastal zone; various Tupi tribes (Dean 1984Dean W. 1984. Indigenous populations of the São Paulo - Rio de Janeiro coast: trade, aldeamento, slavery and extinction. Revista de História, São Paulo, 117: 3-26.) |
See above |
| Early 16th century |
Selective cutting of brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata) in the coastal area (Drummond 1997Drummond JD. 1997. Devastação e Preservação Ambiental. Os parques nacionais do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Editora da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 306 p.) |
Relatively low impact on vegetation cover and erosion, but very high impact on species diversity; today brazilwood is nearly extinct |
| Since 1560 AD |
Increased arrival of European settlers and African slaves. First sugar cane plantations in the coastal zone, cattle ranging and charcoal production (Dean 1995Dean W. 1995. A Ferro e Fogo - a história e a devastação da Mata Atlântica Brasileira, Ed. Schwarcz Ltda., São Paulo, 484 p.) |
Very high deforestation rates in the coastal zone, particularly around the city of Rio de Janeiro |
| 1567 AD |
First settlements in the lower elevations of the Serra dos Órgãos in the municipality of Magé (Drummond 1997Drummond JD. 1997. Devastação e Preservação Ambiental. Os parques nacionais do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Editora da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 306 p.) |
Not specified |
| Around 1650 AD |
Large scale deforestation in the Guanabara Bay (Dean 1995Dean W. 1995. A Ferro e Fogo - a história e a devastação da Mata Atlântica Brasileira, Ed. Schwarcz Ltda., São Paulo, 484 p.) |
Forest cover in Guanabara Bay destroyed in a large scale |
| Late 17th century |
Sugar cane plantations reach the foothills of the Serra dos Órgãos (Drummond 1997Drummond JD. 1997. Devastação e Preservação Ambiental. Os parques nacionais do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Editora da Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 306 p.) |
Not specified |
| 1720 AD |
Gold route from Minas Gerais to Guanabara Bay crossed the westernmost part of the Serra dos Órgãos (Nehren et al. 2009Nehren U, Alfonso de Nehren S and Heinrich J. 2009. Forest fragmentation in the Serra dos Órgãos: Historical and landscape ecological implications. In: GAESE H, TORRICO JC, WESENBERG J AND SCHLÜTER S (Eds), Biodiversity and land use systems in the fragmented Mata Atlântica of Rio de Janeiro, Cuvillier, GÖttingen, p. 39-64.) |
Not specified |
| 1790-1860 AD |
Intensive coffee production in RJ (Dantas and Coelho Netto 1995) |
Large areas of Atlantic forests were replaced by coffee plantations, cultivation also on steep slopes, high erosion rates and landslides, dry periods in winter |
| Early 19th century |
First fazendas (farms) in the higher elevations of the Serra dos Órgãos (Nehren et al. 2009Nehren U, Alfonso de Nehren S and Heinrich J. 2009. Forest fragmentation in the Serra dos Órgãos: Historical and landscape ecological implications. In: GAESE H, TORRICO JC, WESENBERG J AND SCHLÜTER S (Eds), Biodiversity and land use systems in the fragmented Mata Atlântica of Rio de Janeiro, Cuvillier, GÖttingen, p. 39-64.) |
Not specified |
| Early to mid 19th century |
Foundations of the towns Nova Friburgo (1818) and Teresópolis (1855) in the mountain region |
Not specified |
| 1860 AD |
Expropriation of coffee plantations, afforestation program in RJ (Dantas and Coelho Netto 1995) |
About 25,000 km2 of the forest cover in RJ were destroyed (60% of the territory), massive erosion problems, water scarcity in the City of Rio de Janeiro |
| 1911 AD |
RJ widely covered with forests as a result of afforestation (Duarte de Barros 1956) |
85% of the territory of RJ forested |
| Early 20th century |
Rapid expansion of agricultural land due to an active immigration policy (Prutsch 1996Prutsch U. 1996. Das Geschäft mit der Hoffnung. Österreichische Auswanderung nach Brasilien 1918-1938. Wien, KÖln, Graz, 303 p.) |
Not specified |
| 1949 AD |
Most of the territory of RJ converted into agricultural land (Duarte de Barros 1956) |
Remaining forest cover of 8.2% in RJ |
| Mid-20th century |
Further development of the Serra dos Órgãos: expansion and improvement of the road network, land use intensification, suburbanization processes. Local afforestation and reforestation. Serra dos Órgãos National Park created in 1939 (Nehren 2008Nehren U. 2008. Quartäre Landschaftsgenese und historische-degradation in der Serra dos Órgãos, Rio de Janeiro, PhD thesis, Leipzig, http://www.cuvillier.de/flycms/de/html/30/-UickI3zKPS7xcUg=/Buchdetails.html.
http://www.cuvillier.de/flycms/de/html/3...
) |
Enhanced erosion processes, landslides along roads and in settlements; first steps towards nature protection |
| 2008 AD |
Most recent satellite-based mapping of the forest cover in RJ (Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica/INPE 2009) |
Remaining forest cover of 19.6% in RJ |
| Current situation |
Highly fragmented landscape with forest fragments, low deforestation rate, modern environmental legislation, system of protected areas (Nehren 2008Nehren U. 2008. Quartäre Landschaftsgenese und historische-degradation in der Serra dos Órgãos, Rio de Janeiro, PhD thesis, Leipzig, http://www.cuvillier.de/flycms/de/html/30/-UickI3zKPS7xcUg=/Buchdetails.html.
http://www.cuvillier.de/flycms/de/html/3...
) |
Relatively stable forest cover, but disruption of landscapes and forests by roads, huge soil erosion problems, landslides |
