Fire mosaics and habitat choice in nomadic foragers

Area of Science:

• Environmental Archaeology
• Human Ecology
• Indigenous Studies

Background:

• Mid-1950s Aboriginal populations in Australia's Western Desert declined due to relocation.
• Reduced population density challenged traditional landscape use models.
• Allee effects (positive density dependence) suggested past use might influence future use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate landscape use patterns of Indigenous Martu people in the Western Desert.
• To test predictions of ideal free distribution versus Allee effects on habitat selection.
• To understand the role of landscape burning in shaping Martu mobility and settlement.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of fire footprints and mosaics from aerial photographs (1953) covering 35,300 km².
• Utilized structural equation modeling to analyze relationships between landscape features and use intensity.
• Examined factors like water access, food availability, and trade opportunities.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation was found between the extent of fire mosaics and the intensity of recent use.
• This relationship held across different habitat qualities, supporting Allee effects.
• Fire mosaics were concentrated in areas with good water access, food, and trade opportunities, drawing people back.

Conclusions:

• Landscape burning created positive feedback loops influencing Martu landscape valuation.
• These feedback effects altered mobility and settlement patterns, increasing sedentism and local population density.
• Past landscape use, particularly through burning, significantly impacted future human settlement and resource use.