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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

The influence of seasonal river flooding in food consumption of riverine dwellers in the central Amazon region: an isotopic approach

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Author(s):
Jardim, Cinthya Martins [1] ; Nardoto, Gabriela Bielefeld [2] ; Barbosa de Lima, Ana Carolina [3, 4] ; Silva, Rodrigo de Jesus [5] ; Schor, Tatiana [6] ; de Oliveira, Jose Aldemir [6] ; Martinelli, Luiz Antonio [7]
Total Authors: 7
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Amazonas, Programa Posgrad Soc & Cultura Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil
[2] Univ Brasilia, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Ecol, Brasilia, DF - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Para, Inst Ciencias Sociais Aplicadas, Belem, Para - Brazil
[4] Indiana Univ, Ctr Anal Social Ecol Landscapes, Bloomington, IN - USA
[5] Univ Fed Rural Amazonia, Tome Acu, PA - Brazil
[6] Univ Fed Amazonas, Dept Geog, Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil
[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr CENA, Piracicaba - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 7
Document type: Journal article
Source: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES; v. 12, n. 9 AUG 6 2020.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

In recent decades, the nutritional transition has been encroaching on remote rural areas of developing countries where feeding patterns are shifting from unprocessed foods to industrialized processed goods. Such changes in the Amazon region have been detected, for instance, by comparing the natural carbon (C-13:C-12) and nitrogen (N-15:N-14) isotopic ratios of people living in riverine communities with urban dwellers their putative diet. In this study, we considered how landscape variables impacted food consumption by comparing fingernail isotopic ratios of individuals in the rural settlement of Costa do Caldeirao located in the floodplain (varzea) of the Solimoes River, and in the rural settlement of Paquequer located in a non-flooded area (terra-firme) near the Madeira River banks. A total of 70 fingernails were sampled for carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis during the low water period and again during the high water period from the same residents of the varzea and terra-firme. The consumption of C-4-like resources (e.g., frozen chicken and canned meat) increased in both rural settlements during the high water period when C-3-like resources (fish, cassava, rice, beans) are less available due to the flooding of lowland areas, but this difference was more pronounced in the terra-firme. The higher consumption of C-4-like resources in the varzea compared to the terra-firme shows how seasonal flooding is a key factor influencing food security and health, due to stark variations in river water levels. While fish and farinha are still important staple foods, differences within rural settlements suggest that, besides seasonal variation and changes in water levels, other factors such as age, origin, and income may be crucial to understanding individual dietary behavior change in line with the nutritional transition model. (AU)