Evidence and Ecology of Historic Human Settlements in Kibale National Park, Uganda

Ecosystem conservation often focuses on protecting wild places, but many remote forests and expansive savannahs have a deep human history of ecosystem management. Here we document grinding stones in the center of a high conservation-value forest, Kibale National Park, Uganda, indicating a historic human presence. Grinding stones were found at a minimum density of one per 0.57 km 2 and in a range of forest types. Ecological plots around grinding stones were dominated by late successional tree species, although forest structure was comparable to formerly logged areas of Kibale. Building a more comprehensive understanding of human land-use before 1932, when protection policies began, will help explain current habitat heterogeneity. Future work should combine archaeology and ethnography to study the history and lifestyle of people who lived in Kibale. Understanding the role of people in this forest—and the role of the forest in local cultures—may elucidate contemporary ecology.