Ancient use and manipulation of landscape in the Yalahau region of the northern Maya lowlands

Fedick, Scott L.; Morrison, Bethany A.

doi:10.1023/b:ahum.0000029401.39131.ad

Cited by 50 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In addition, the life support systems that are inherent within the wetland ecosystems can provide a wide range of valuable functions to society (Folke 1991;De Groot 1992) if they are used in a sustainable manner, for example, by incorporating the primary users in the management of the wetlands within the context of societal livelihoods and local institutions. Yet, there is a paucity of literature on the relationship between farmer activities and the state of wetlands in Eastern Africa-especially regarding the Lake Victoria region, and the literature is rather limited internationally (Wilson 1996;Fedick and Morrison 2004). Similarly, quantitative analysis of the impact of agriculture on wetlands is limited (Beopoulos and Skuras 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability, livelihood assets and institutional dynamics in the management of wetlands in Lake Victoria watershed basin

Mwakubo

Obare

2009

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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This paper uses data from 600 households in the Lake Victoria watershed in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda to analyze the effects of vulnerabilities and shocks on the management and exploitation of wetlands within the context of agricultural activities and high poverty levels. A multinomial logit model is used to determine variables that influence the perception of wetlands degradation, while a tobit model is used to establish the determinants of willingness to pay for wetland conservation and the imputed value of wetland product extracts. The model results show that although the perception of wetland degradation is modest, it is influenced by attributes of social capital. Variables such as floods, diseases and droughts significantly influence the households' willingness to pay for wetland conservation. Land size and ownership, education level and household size all influence households' likelihood to actively engage in wetland resource exploitation and willingness to pay for its conservation. The implications of these results hinge on measures that would moderate the effects of shocks, mobilize collective action, and improve physical infrastructure within the context of sustainable wetland resource use.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability, livelihood assets and institutional dynamics in the management of wetlands in Lake Victoria watershed basin

Mwakubo

Obare

2009

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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“…Past cultivation techniques included planting of trees along with crops in agroforestry systems (Heckenberger et al, 2007), and soil-management strategies . For example, the ancient Maya manipulated and cultivated the landscape of the Yalahau region in the northeast corner of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico by using algae from wetlands to enrich upland garden plots, and by cultivating trees within their communities (Fedick and Morrison, 2004). Similarly, there is substantial evidence to indicate that fertile Terra Preta soils were developed by preColumbian native populations in central Amazonia through the addition of large amounts of charred residues, organic waste, excrement and bones (Glaser, 2007).…”

Section: Restoration Of Ecological Processes On a Degraded Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

Questions of importance to the conservation of biological diversity: answers from the past

Willis

Bhagwat

2010

Clim. Past

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Abstract. Paleoecological records are replete with examples of biotic responses to past climate change and human impact, but how can we use these records in the conservation of current and future biodiversity? A recently published list of (One Hundred Questions of Importance to the Conservation of Global Biological Diversity) (Sutherland et al., 2009) highlights a number of key research questions that need a temporal perspective. Many of these questions are related to the determination of ecological processes in order to assess ecosystem function and services, climate changeintegrated conservation strategies, and ecosystem management and restoration. However, it is noticeable that not a single contributor to this list was from the paleo-research community and that extremely few paleo-records are ever used in the development of terrestrial conservation management plans. This lack of dialogue between conservationists and the paleo-community is partially driven by a perception that the data provided by paleoecological records are purely descriptive and not of relevance to the day-to-day management and conservation of biological diversity. This paper illustrates, through a series of case-studies, how long-term ecological records (>50 years) can provide a test of predictions and assumptions of ecological processes that are directly relevant to management strategies necessary to retain biological diversity in a changing climate. This discussion paper includes information on diversity baselines, thresholds, resilience, and restoration of ecological processes.

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“…In the Yalahau region in the far northeast of the Yucatán Peninsula, Fedick and Morrison (2004) noted that all elite residential centers, or sites with monumental architecture, are associated with large sinkholes (in the form of either cenotes or dzadzob) whereas non-elite sites were associated with smaller cenotes with surface openings often less than about 4 m in diameter.…”

Section: Geology and Geomorphology Of The Northern Yucatán Peninsulamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this landscape are rejolladas, distinctive sinkholes that are usually round and shallow, are typified by bases that sit above the regional water table, and tend to have thicker soils than the surrounding areas (e.g. Kepecs & Boucher 1996;Fedick & Morrison 2004;Lopez 2008). The distribution of these sinkholes is particularly dense at the ancient Maya center of Xuenkal, lending support to the argument that rejolladas were likely important to ancient populations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Ancient Maya Agricultural Adaptation Through Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Analysis of Karst Terrain, Northern Yucatán, Mexico

Munro‐Stasiuk¹,

Manahan²

2010

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IzvlečelUDK 930.85(726.6) 551.435.8:528.9 Mandy J. Munro-Stasiuk & T. Kam Manahan: Uporaba georadarja pri raziskavah prilagoditev majevskega kmetijstva na kraškem površju severnega Jukatana, Mehika Prilagoditev življenja na kraškem površju severnega dela polotoka Jukatan v Mehiki, je bilo izjemno težko. Prsti je malo, voda pa je dostopna edino v udornicah (cenotah), ki so neposredno povezane s kraško podtalnico. Razvoj in obstoj starih naselbin Majev, vključno z mestom Xuenkal, povezujemo z bližino kraških depresij. V primeru mesta Xuenkal, so dna vrtač , ki jih lokalno imenujejo rejolladas, nad nivojem podzemne vode in ne nudijo neposrednega dostopa do vode. Ker je bila prisotnost teh vrtač za Maje očitno pomembna, smo izvedli študijo teh objektov s posebnim ozirom na kamninsko podlago in prst. Podatki georadarja (GPR) in poskusnih izkopov, so pokazali veliko debelino prsti v dnu vrtač. Kaže, da je prst najdebelejša v manjših, a globokih vrtačah. Xuenkal je zgrajen sredi goste mreže vrtač, kar je bilo verjetno pomembno pri umestitvi mesta. Maji so očitno s pridom izkoriščali prisotnost vrtač z debelim slojem prsti, kjer se je lahko obdržal gost in zdrav vegetacijski pokrov.

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Ancient use and manipulation of landscape in the Yalahau region of the northern Maya lowlands

Cited by 50 publications

References 32 publications

Vulnerability, livelihood assets and institutional dynamics in the management of wetlands in Lake Victoria watershed basin

Vulnerability, livelihood assets and institutional dynamics in the management of wetlands in Lake Victoria watershed basin

Questions of importance to the conservation of biological diversity: answers from the past

Investigating Ancient Maya Agricultural Adaptation Through Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Analysis of Karst Terrain, Northern Yucatán, Mexico

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