The dichotomy in the society-nature relationship is projected considerably over tropical forests, which are often considered to be a static nature, with no history and with few inhabitants, and whose structural and functional complexity occurred only through natural processes. The present work investigated: i. the transformation of the landscape of Grumari, a neighborhood located in the southwestern corner of Maciço da Pedra Branca (RJ), which currently has the largest vegetation area in the municipality and ii. the socioecological legacies found in the forest, in order to discover which and how human interactions with physical-biological environment contributed to the construction of the current forest landscape. For this, methodologies from Geography, History and Ecology were used, which permeated the investigation of historical documents with primary and secondary sources extracted from Historical Archives, complemented by the identification and systematization of material traces found in fieldwork, according to the landscape reading methodology. Finally, phytosociology was used to analyze the tree component around the traces found, in order to understand the ecological results of the encounter between social and natural dynamics. Eight sampling units of tree vegetation totaling 0.32 ha were inventoried. A total of 90 species were found, with Guarea guidonia, Piptadenia gonoacantha, Sparattosperma leucanthum, Gallesia integrifolia and Joannesia princeps being the most conspicuous. The forested slope of Grumari was inhabited by human populations, possibly from the sambaquieiros peoples; passing by indigenous Tupinambás; Portuguese colonizers; religious institutions of power; landowners and small-scale tenant farmers - who still occupy the territory today - and, more recently, the Public Power, which exercises environmental governance through Conservation Units. Some effects of the modification of ecosystems for survival and economic activities referring to different historical moments are imprinted on the landscape through traces such as: malacological deposits, remnants of charcoal production, ruins and ancient paths, usually associated with the presence of exotic species, and native species that present a dominance pattern in the plant community. The association of these elements found in the landscape tells stories beyond written history. After more than 200 years of intense use of the soil for agriculture, energy and water supply and human habitation, the vegetation has advanced over areas of old fields, charcoal fields and abandoned pastures. The forest followed unique ecological successions, which express history and culture in their composition and structure. The complementarity of sources - written, material, biological and photographic - contributed to the understanding of the landscape complexity and the historical-environmental factors that led to its current configuration. In addition, it allowed to give light to systematically invisible social groups that were important agents of transformation of the space with their cultural practices. The gathering of this information and the systematization of material traces reveal the complexities and give substance to the discussion about forests as cultural landscapes.