Why are there no trees on Easter Island?

Easter Island was covered with palm trees for over 30,000 years, but is treeless today. There is good evidence that the trees largely disappeared between 1200 and 1650. However there is evidence the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) was present from 900 and it seems clear that these rats caused widespread deforestation.

Are there palm trees on Easter Island?

J. Dransf. Paschalococos disperta, the Rapa Nui palm or Easter Island palm, formerly Jubaea disperta, was the native cocoid palm species of Easter Island. Dransfield suggests that the trees became extinct as they were cut down for the edible palm hearts as food supplies ran out for an island overpopulated by humans.

What happened to all the birds on Easter Island?

Soon land birds went extinct and migratory bird numbers were severely reduced, thus spelling an end for Easter Island’s forests. Already under intense pressure by the human population for firewood and building material, the forests lost their animal pollinators and seed dispersers with the disappearance of the birds.

Where did the rats come from and why did they have such a negative effect on the palm tree?

The number of palm trees decreases because of the increased number of rats that eats its fruits. Seed germination became frequently interfered because of this activity. However, the slow growth of palm trees was also blamed for the tree cutting off the people.

How do you say hello in Easter Island?

Basics[edit] Hello. Pe hē ‘Iorana. ‘Iorana.

What language is spoken on Easter Island?

Islanders smile, sing and dance in polyester costumes to cater to the mostly Spanish-speaking spenders. Ever since Chile annexed Easter Island more than a century ago, the Spanish language has been chipping away at the Polynesian-based language called Rapa Nui.

Who owns Easter Island today?

Known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, the island was christened Paaseiland, or Easter Island, by Dutch explorers in honor of the day of their arrival in 1722. It was annexed by Chile in the late 19th century and now maintains an economy based largely on tourism.

Is there crime on Easter Island?

Crime on Easter Island is infrequent, but it is always wise to keep an eye on your money. Pickpockets are not unheard of, particularly in the crowded street markets.

Why is Easter Island famous?

Easter Island is famous for its stone statues of human figures, known as moai (meaning “statue”). The island is known to its inhabitants as Rapa Nui. The moai were probably carved to commemorate important ancestors and were made from around 1000 C.E. until the second half of the seventeenth century.

Are there any Easter Islanders left?

The Rapa Nui are the indigenous Polynesian people of Easter Island. At the 2017 census there were 7,750 island inhabitants—almost all living in the village of Hanga Roa on the sheltered west coast.

Why was moai toppled?

Why were the Moai toppled? Yet by the end of the 19th century, the Moai reportedly had all toppled and fallen over. There are different theories about this – some believe it was because of earthquake activity, others say the statues were toppled during tribal wars as a way of humiliating their opposition.

Does anyone live on Easter Island?

Despite its extreme seclusion, most people know of Easter Island for one reason: the moai sculptures. And they are enough to attract nearly 100,000 travelers every year to this island of just 5,700 inhabitants.

Did rats destroy Easter Island?

Around 1400 the Easter Island palm became extinct due to overharvesting and as Hunt argues, Polynesian rats, which severely reduced the palm’s capacity to reproduce by eating its seeds. Soon land birds went extinct and migratory bird numbers were severely reduced, thus spelling an end for Easter Island’s forests.

Who brought rats to Easter Island?

Exactly how rats got on to the island is not known, although one theory is that they arrived as stowaways in the first canoes of Polynesian colonists. Once they arrived, the rats found palm nuts offered an almost unlimited high-quality food supply.

Where did the rats come from?

Most pet rats and lab rats are brown rats. They originally came from China and spread around the world later than black rats. They probably arrived in Europe around the 1300s and spread worldwide in the late 1700s.