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Ecology in Ancient Peru

Psychologists define intelligence by the ability a person has to solve problems.
Anthropologists define the success of a culture by its ability to manage its environment.

Since Peru has 84 of the world's 105 ecosystems, we may deduce that one of the ancient Peruvians' most important legacies has been their successful management of their environment.

 
Peru's Eight Natural Regions
On the Coast we have a strip of desert, 2530 kilometre long by 40 to 80 kilometres wide. This Coast, also known as Chala in Pulgar Vidal's definition of our regions, ranges from 0-500 meters above sea level, and from one end to the other features only 53 fertile valleys.

In the Coastal region, the Chimus, Mochicas, Nazcas and Tallanes, designed and executed extraordinary hydraulic networks which irrigated areas that we know today as arid deserts. Old deeds to lands that have long been buried by the sands, depicted boundaries laid by channels and acequias.
The decimation of the native population not only cut short the demand for that water, brought from the Andes through channels, but also erased the memory of the old techniques utilised to build them.

 
The Peruvian Highlands
The Highlands of Peru are formed by the Andes, which cross Peru from North to South. They dominate 27% of the country's surface.
In the Highlands we have the following regions, and their respective most representative types of crops:

YUNGA	500-2300 masl	cactus, fruits (lúcumo, etc.)
QUECHUA	2300-3500 masl	gourds, maize, potato
SUNI	3500-4000 masl	mashua, quinua, cañihua, tarhui, haba
PUNA	4000 - 4800 masl	totora, pastures, potatoes
JANCA or CORDILLERA	4800 - 6768 masl	ichu or wild pastures

In the highlands, ancient Peruvians wisely solved the vertical challenge of the Andes. They exploited the mountain slopes with wonderful terraces or andenes, whose principle of communicating channels saved the precious water resources, and even today continue to amaze hydraulic engineers.
They also incorporated into their mentality the sense of upper and lower regions, the duality of authorities.
It was the ayllu, or clan, who decided what crops were to be grown: in the suni over 3,500 meters, pastures; tubers, and some grains and vegetables in the centre or quechua, where the village was located; and in the Yunga near the river, corn and fruits.
So if there was frost, the pastures above 3,000 meters would be lost but all the other crops would be saved; and if there were floods the other crops would be available.
Today, only 2% of the Peruvian territory is used for agriculture, and to enhance it there are extremely expensive irrigation projects. The Sierra provides food for the most important cities of the country, and is already heavily over-utilised.

 
The Jungle
We have the following regions and their typical crops:

OMAGUA/LOW JUNGLE	583-400 masl	cassava, sweet potato, beans, aji
RUPA RUPA	400-1000 masl	fruits, trees

 
The Rain Forest

1,000 - 5,000 mm of rain per year
Temperature from 18°C to 41°C

This is the largest and more tropical region of Peru. Tropical rain forests cover practically 62% of our territory, and flow with wide rivers which are constantly changing their courses.

The Amazon Rain Forest has always been considered as Peru's food store for the future, but this is not true.
The 30 or so ethnic groups living in the Amazon have different origins, however, they have mostly adapted one lifestyle in terms of agriculture.
The constant rainfalls sweep away the nutrients of Amazonian soils, so only a thin layer is left to support agricultural endeavours. Therefore, small groups of 10 or 12 families claim huge territories for themselves, based on ancient rights of use. The reason for it is the slash and burn cycle.
The natives arrive in a place, cut down some trees and clean the area by burning the vegetation. They then grow different crops each year, well aware that the nutrients will only allow 4 years of good crops. In the fifth year they leave the place and migrate to another one where the cycle is repeated. In this way the group uses all of its territory in an ecologically-sound way. They leave the soil to rest and accumulate more nutrients for their future exploitation, 25 years later.
They combine their vegetable diet with fish and game, and this nomad life, forced upon them by Nature and their environment, has lead to a very stern practice of birth control.
Native women are acquainted with many herbs to prevent pregnancies. With small children and weak women, the group could not survive their crossing of the wild forest, full of dangerous animals and meandering rivers.
In the past there were struggles amongst the different groups. My father, who was a pilot, told me that in the 1950s he once took a Franciscan missionary who was looking for a village of natives where he had lived for a long time. After flying many hours the missionary pointed out a small clearance in the forest. He had recognised it because there were many small heads on the ground. This tribe had gone to war, and left their small children behind. To avoid them from running and getting lost in the jungle, they buried them, leaving only their little heads showing above ground.
These astounding ancient practices ensured the survival of their groups, and they expressed their gratitude to the rain forest, for the food it provided them, through complex and rich religions that bound men and nature.
Unfortunately, the Spanish conquest first, the hacendados next, and foreign mining and rubber interests in third place, produced economic booms in the highlands and in the jungle, which devastated this carefully-maintained balance with nature.

When compared by anthropological standards of success, our current Peruvian culture is probably far surpassed by that of our "uncivilised" ancestors.