Deforestation sped demise of Nasca in Peru-study

[Judi Lynn]

Deforestation sped demise of Nasca in Peru-study
Mon Nov 2, 2009 12:01am GMT

* Ancient tree felling made climate too arid in Peru

* People famed for "Nasca Lines" disappeared 1,500 years ago

* Study shows need for action to protect fragile, arid areas

(Embargoed for release at 0001 GMT, Monday, Nov 2)

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The mysterious people who etched the "Nasca Lines" across deserts in Peru hastened their own demise by clearing forests 1,500 years ago, according to a study on Monday.

The Nasca people, famed for the lines that depict animals or geometric shapes most clearly visible from the air, became unable to grow enough food in nearby valleys because the lack of trees made the climate too dry, scientists said.

The report, led by Cambridge University in England, said that the findings showed a need for more action now to protect the world's arid lands.

"An ancient South American civilisation which disappeared around 1,500 years ago helped to cause its own demise by damaging the fragile ecosystem that held it in place," the university said in a statement.

The Nasca people cleared valleys for farming by felling huarango trees -- a key species which can live more than 1,000 years and helps regulate soil fertility and moisture.

"Eventually, they cut down so many trees that they reached a tipping point at which the arid ecosystem was irreversibly damaged," it said of the findings published in the journal Latin American Antiquity.

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL141978._CH_.2420?rpc=401