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Ecosystem management and restoration as practiced by the Indigenous Lacandon Maya of Chiapas, Mexico

Diemont, Stewart A.W.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1154582623

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering.
The Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group who live in Chiapas, Mexico, practice a form of swidden agroforestry that conserves the surrounding rainforest ecosystem while cycling the majority of their land through five successional stages, which include an herbaceous stage (kor or milpa), two shrub stages (robir and jurup che, or acahual taken together), and two secondary forest stages (mehen che and nu kux che). A portion of their land is kept in primary forest (taman che). This study quantitatively describes the plant community and the associated soil ecology of each stage to answer the question of how plant community management in Lacandon systems may be affecting soil ecology. To evaluate the potential of Lacandon traditional ecological knowlege knowledge for ecological restoration, two plants, Ochroma pyramidale and Sapium lateriflorum, were selected for more detailed assessment of the associated soil ecology. An emergy evaluation quantified resource use, productivity, environmental impact, and overall sustainability of Lacandon agroforestry. The diversity of plant species used by the Lacandon, their fertility management, and the apparent effects of both on soil ecology indicate that Lacandon traditional ecological knowledge contains powerful tools for farmers in Latin America. Lacandon farmers are able to produce needed food and raw materials in order to meet a family's needs, while sustainably maintaining the fertility of their fields and the complexity of the surrounding ecosystems. Furthermore, this research shows that the Lacandon are cognizant of the natural abilities of certain species to fulfill the restoration needs in their systems. It demonstrates that Maya agroforestry and local knowledge could contribute to efforts to conserve and restore rainforests, and reduce deforestation by accelerating recovery while maintaining a sustainable productivity of the fallow in tropical agriculture.
Jay Martin (Advisor)
127 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Diemont, S. A.W. (2006). Ecosystem management and restoration as practiced by the Indigenous Lacandon Maya of Chiapas, Mexico [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1154582623

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Diemont, Stewart. Ecosystem management and restoration as practiced by the Indigenous Lacandon Maya of Chiapas, Mexico. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1154582623.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Diemont, Stewart. "Ecosystem management and restoration as practiced by the Indigenous Lacandon Maya of Chiapas, Mexico." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1154582623

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1154582623
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.