As humans have colonised new places, they often initiate dramatic environmental change, even in the distant past. On remote islands, where levels of endemism are high, species and environments are often particularly vulnerable to the effects of introduced species like humans, and the plants and animals they deliberately or accidentally bring with them. The first palaeoecological studies to determine the environmental history of key “stepping stones” for human migration in the Indian Ocean were conducted on the Chagos Archipelago and the Comoros islands. The pollen and charcoal records show dramatic changes in vegetation and fire regimes in the last 1500-700 years that are best explained through the influence of human settlement. Such studies of the past are extremely useful for better understanding and mitigating the effects of human-induced environmental change today.

Professor Simon Haberle, Department of Archaeology and Natural History, College of Asia and the Pacific, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.