We are very happy to begin a new collaboration with our wonderful colleagues Umberto Lombardo and Kate Dudgeon, from the DEMODRIVERS project, based like us at ICTA-UAB. Over the years, many conversations about our shared fascination and deep affection for Bolivia have gradually grown into a meaningful scientific collaboration.
While the DEMODRIVERS team works in the remarkable forest islands of the Llanos de Moxos, and our project focuses on the terra firme forests of the Tsimane’ Territory, both teams are driven by a common question: how have people and landscapes shaped one another over time in the Bolivian Amazon? By bringing together different approaches, we hope to better understand the region’s long-term social-ecological history.
As part of this collaboration, we have begun collecting soil samples for phytolith and phosphorus analysis, which will help reconstruct past vegetation dynamics and human activity across the landscape. These microscopic traces preserved in soils can reveal important clues about past land use, plant communities, and demographic patterns. Beyond the science, this collaboration is rooted in something deeper: years of conversations, shared curiosity, and a profound love for Bolivia and its Amazonian landscapes. It is a joy to explore these questions together.
You can learn more about the inspiring work of our colleagues at the DEMODRIVERS project here:
https://demodrivers.org/
