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  1. Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta

    Terra preta - Wikipedia

    • Terra preta is a type of very dark, fertile anthropogenic soil (anthrosol) found in the Amazon Basin. It is also known as "Amazonian dark earth" or "Indian black earth". In Portuguese its full name is terra preta do índio or terra preta de índio ("black soil of the Indian", "Indians' black earth"). Terra mulata ("mulatto earth") is lighter or brownish in color. Terra preta owes its … See more

    History

    The origins of the Amazonian dark earths were not immediately clear to later settlers. One idea was that they … See more

    Location

    Terra preta soils are found mainly in the Brazilian Amazon, where Sombroek et al. estimate that they cover at least 0.1–0.3%, or 6,300 to 18,900 square kilometres (2,400 to 7,300 sq mi) of low forested Amazonia; but others … See more

    Pedology

    In the international soil classification system World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) Terra preta is called Pretic Anthrosol. The most common original soil before transformed into a terra preta is the Ferralsol. … See more

    Ancient Amazonians created mysterious ‘dark earth’ on purpose
    Mysterious patches of fertile black soil pepper the verdant Amazon rainforest. They sit in stark contrast with the reddish, eroded soil that dominates the basin. Researchers have long thought …
    Science | AAAS · https://www.science.org/cont…
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  1. Terra preta
    • According to 2 sources
    Terra preta (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈtɛʁɐ ˈpɾetɐ], literally "black soil" in Portuguese) is a type of very dark, fertile anthropogenic soil (anthrosol) found in the Amazon Basin. It is also known as "Amazonian dark earth" or "Indian black earth".

    Terra preta - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org
    Terra Preta (Portuguese for “black earth”) is a mixture of charcoal, clay shards and numerous organic materials, such as kitchen waste, bones and feces. It was produced several centuries ago by the inhabitants of the Amazon basin. Almost everything that came up in their daily lives in terms of organic material was apparently used for this purpose.

    What Is Dark Earth Soil? Ter…

    gardeninguru.com
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    Terra preta - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org
    Did indigenous communities intentionally produce dark earth?
    Based on these observations and interviews with the Kuikuro, it was clear that Indigenous communities today intentionally produce dark earth, through their practices to improve the soil. But could the dark earth found in nearby archaeological sites have been made through similar intentional practices?

    Ancient Amazonians intentionally created fertile “dark earth”

    news.mit.edu
    Can dark earth be used for crop production?
    One is the midden model, in which dark earth results mainly from household waste disposal. The other is the agriculture model, in which dark earth results from cultivation practices (13, 25, 26). Either mechanism could involve intentional formation of dark earth for crop production, but neither requires it.

    Intentional creation of carbon-rich dark earth soils in the Amazon

    science.org
    Was dark earth laid down by geologic processes?
    Most scientists today agree that the presence of dark earth near archaeological sites means that long-ago Amazonians used this soil to grow crops. But while some archaeologists argue that people purposely made the soil, others contend that dark earth was laid down through geologic processes.

    Indigenous people may have made the Amazon’s ‘dark earth’ on purpose

    sciencenews.org
    Is dark earth good for reforestation?
    Amazonia dark earth is chock full of nutrients and stable organic matter that can boost plant growth. Amazonian dark earth (ADE) is a nutrient rich dark soil that could play a role in reforestation. Luís Felipe Guandalin Zagatto

    How this dark and fertile soil could help reforestation - Popular Science

    popsci.com
    Did indigenous Kuikuro people create a dark earth?
    Scientists have long debated the origin of this “dark earth,” which is darker in color than surrounding soils and richer in carbon. Now, researchers have shown that indigenous Kuikuro people in southeastern Brazil intentionally create similar soil around their villages.

    Indigenous people may have made the Amazon’s ‘dark earth’ on purpose

    sciencenews.org
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  3. Science | AAAS
    https://www.science.org/content/article/anci…

    Ancient Amazonians created mysterious ‘dark earth’ on …

    Sep 20, 2023 · Mysterious patches of fertile black soil pepper the verdant Amazon rainforest. They sit in stark contrast with the reddish, eroded soil that dominates the basin. Researchers have long thought this Amazonian dark …

  4. MIT News
    https://news.mit.edu/2023/ancient-amaz…

    Ancient Amazonians intentionally created fertile “dark …

    Sep 20, 2023 · A new study suggests patches of fertile soil in the Amazon, known as dark earth, were intentionally produced by ancient Amazonians as a way to improve the soil and sustain large and complex societies.

  5. SciTechDaily
    https://scitechdaily.com/dark-earth-deci…

    Dark Earth Deciphered: Ancient Amazonians …

    Sep 25, 2023 · The rich soil holds thousands of tons of carbon, sequestered over centuries by indigenous practices, a new study suggests. The Amazon river basin is known for its immense and lush tropical forests, so one might …

  6. Science News
    https://www.sciencenews.org/article/in…

    Indigenous people may have made the Amazon’s ‘dark …

    Jan 5, 2023 · Modern Amazonians make nutrient-rich soil from ash, food scraps and burns. The soil strongly resembles ancient dark soils found in the region.

  7. mit.edu
    https://jwafs.mit.edu/news/2019/digging …

    Digging Deep: Investigating Manmade Black Soil of the …

    Oct 7, 2019 · Growing interest among scientific researchers worldwide focuses on this soil type as a possible means of carbon sequestration and an alternative to environmentally destructive slash-and-burn agricultural techniques.

  8. Popular Science
    https://www.popsci.com/environment/a…

    How this dark and fertile soil could help reforestation

    May 5, 2023 · Amazonian dark earth (ADE) is a nutrient rich dark soil that could play a role in reforestation. Luís Felipe Guandalin Zagatto. Nicknamed the “Earth’s lungs” for its dense oxygen...

  9. New Scientist
    https://www.newscientist.com/article/2…

    'Dark earth' made by Amazon farmers stores carbon …

    Sep 20, 2023 · Indigenous farmers in the Amazon cultivate nutrient-rich, carbon-storing soil to grow crops – and archaeological evidence of this “dark earth” suggests they have been doing so for centuries.

  10. uoregon.edu
    https://news.uoregon.edu/content/myste…

    Mystery of Amazon region’s rare fertile soils is unlocked

    Jan 5, 2021 · Mystery of Amazon region’s rare fertile soils is unlocked. Phosphorous, calcium and charcoal suggest that indigenous people learned to identify uniquely fertile soils prior to the invention of agriculture in the Amazon …

  11. Science | AAAS
    https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh8499

    Intentional creation of carbon-rich dark earth soils in the Amazon

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