Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2021
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V1
Höfundar / Authors: Pedro Rodrigues (1), Joanan Micael (2)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Rannsóknastöðin Rif/Rif Field Station, Aðalbraut 16, 675 Raufarhöfn, Iceland, 2. Náttúrustofa Suðvesturlands, Garðvegi 1, 245 Suðurnesjabær, Iceland
Kynnir / Presenter: Pedro Rodrigues
The Inca Empire was the largest ancient civilization in South America, with a population of over 8 million people and stretching almost 4,000 km of distinct environments along the Pacific coastline to the highlands of the Andes Mountains, and throughout most of the arid deserts between, such as the Atacama. As most of these lands were arid, the use of guano as a fertilizer was fundamental to sustain the agricultural development of the empire and was the basis for its rapid growth. The access to guano on coastal islands and its subsequent transportation to the highlands provided food security for the population and allowed its expansion. The guano birds (Guanay Cormorant Leucocarbo bougainvillii, Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus and Peruvian Booby Sula variegata), designated latter as the billion-dollar birds due to their economic value in the mid-19th century, were so important to the Empire that led to the development of management plans based on a penal code aiming to preserve these species and their natural habitats. These protective actions may represent the first conservation measures ever implemented by humans based on the importance of species protection for human activities and livelihoods. Shit, this shit was priceless!