Figure 3.

Panoramic views of the three craters containing aquatic sediments useful for paleoecological reconstruction in Rapa Nui. Rano is the indigenous name for a crater with a freshwater swamp or a lake. Note the absence of primeval palm forests and the dominance of grasslands. In Rano Aroi, the small tree stands are Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) plantations introduced from Australia. In Rano Raraku, the darker aquatic vegetation is dominated by the autochthonous sedge Scirpus californicus. Photos: V. Rull.