Easter Island Emergency

Small islands, as a result of their size, remoteness and high levels of endemism are vulnerable to environmental changes and frequently used as an environmental morality tale. For example, the population collapse of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, has been well documented as a parable for the dangers of environmental destruction.

Easter island, one of the worlds most isolated inhabited island in the southeastern pacific ocean was first settled by Polynesian people in the first millennium and a thriving culture developed. However, as a result of a multitude of factors discussed below, by 1772 their population had crashed significantly and was reduced down to 11 by 1877 (Peiser, 2005). 

Literature including ‘collapse’ by Jared Diamon takes an environmental determinist approach to the catastrophe. The island was covered in subtropical broadleaf forests, in particular the now extinct endemic palm Paschalococos disperta.  Supposedly, a growing population overexploited the environment, deforesting the island, using the palms for agriculture, canoe building, fire settling and the transport of the famous Moai statues. This process worsened as a result of the introduction of the Polynesian rat, as the palm fruit and nut acted as a primary food source. The pressures that led to forest removal led to competition between islanders which quickly spiralled into chaos- triggering war, famine and cultural collapse (Diamond, 2005)(Hunt, 2006).

However, further research is not so quick to label the Easter Island population collapse as just a result of careless human behaviour and overexploitation. Drought, winds, poor soil and no permanent streams meant Rapa Nui was never an ideal location for farming, even before colonisation in A.D.1200. Deforestation therefore had little effect on soils, since they were not particularly fertile in the first place. In fact, studies found the behaviour of the islanders may have in fact increased fertility. Paeloarcheology studies have identified the presence of Mania. These are circular rock lined enclosures that provide a productive stable environment for the propagation of staple crops. The walls protect plants from harsh winds and dehydration and household debris, ash and other organic material were added to increase soil nutrients. Although change did occur, the scenario in which reckless destruction lead to chaos seems extreme,  in fact communities manipulated their environment increasing productivity (Hunt, 2012). 

This however does not answer what actually caused the crash. The arrival of the Europeans by 1722 and subsequent visits is likely to have been the most destabilising factor. Although some propose it was the introduction of unfamiliar goods that rocked society, in fact the introduction of diseases such as syphilis and the taking of more than a thousand Raoanui as slaves probably had the greatest impact on population numbers in the islands history. (Hunt, 2009)(Rainbird, 2010). It is likely that evidence for a large population crash before settlers arrived was incorrect. Dates regarding the initial colonisation and subsequently the maximum population size estimated was misguided. 

Although now not the perfect example of uncontrollable exploitation of the environment by humans resulting in loss of biodiversity, degradation and then subsequent demise of that population, lessons should still be taken from Rapa Nui about our relationship with and dependence on the natural environment. Factors are so interconnected we must consider the short and long term impact of all behaviour to prevent future catastrophe. 

Sources:

Diamond, J. 2005. Collapse: How Societies Choose to fail

or Succeed. New York: Viking. 

Hunt T. 2009. ‘Rethinking the fall of easter island’. American scientist. vol 95(4). p412. 

Hunt, T. Lipo, C. 2012. ‘Ecological catastrophe and collape: The Myth of ‘Ecocide’ on Rapa Nui’ . Property and Environment Research centre. [online]. Available at: 

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2042672 . [Accessed: 12.12.2014]. 

Peiser, B .2005. ‘From Genocide to Ecocide: The Rape of Rapa Nui’. Energy & Environment 16. p3-4

Rainbird, P. 2010. ‘A message for our future? The Rapa Nui ecodisaster and Pacific island environments’. World Archaeology, Vol 33(3), pp436-451.