http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/03/before-columbus/ Crops, animals, wild relatives ... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:33:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/03/before-columbus/comment-page-1/#comment-2747 Luigi Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:20:07 +0000 http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/03/before-columbus/#comment-2747 Thanks for your contribution, that characterization of pre-Columbian agriculture as "continual regeneration" in an agroforestry setting is very revealing. Thanks for your contribution, that characterization of pre-Columbian agriculture as “continual regeneration” in an agroforestry setting is very revealing.

]]> http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/03/before-columbus/comment-page-1/#comment-2554 Ron Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:27:16 +0000 http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/03/before-columbus/#comment-2554 We have been working on this problem in the Maya forest. (Hopefully a paper will soon be out.) If the Amazon is considered 'well-populated', imagine the Maya lowlands, where you can't kick a rock without uncovering a human structure. We come down on the side of a fairly dense population, during about 22 centuries and an extensive remodelling of the forest. But we do not agree that "tropical forests have been cleared in the past as they are being cleared today". Even in the times of heavy use, the tropical forest remained fundamentally a forest, a complex constructed landscape with primary and secondary forests forming a matrix of agricultural lands. Despite what several researchers claim, there is just no evidence for widespread clearing of the Maya forest--even during the so-called 'collapse'--until the mid-20th century when extensive cattle grazing was promoted by international development agencies. "Before Colombus", American agriculture was agroforestry, and involved continual regeneration of forest and biodiversity. This is what 'conservationists' need to accept--continual regeneration of forested landscape--not just 'preserving what is left'. Mesoamerican agroforestry traditions still survive that could inform such a strategy. We have been working on this problem in the Maya forest. (Hopefully a paper will soon be out.) If the Amazon is considered ‘well-populated’, imagine the Maya lowlands, where you can’t kick a rock without uncovering a human structure. We come down on the side of a fairly dense population, during about 22 centuries and an extensive remodelling of the forest. But we do not agree that “tropical forests have been cleared in the past as they are being cleared today”. Even in the times of heavy use, the tropical forest remained fundamentally a forest, a complex constructed landscape with primary and secondary forests forming a matrix of agricultural lands. Despite what several researchers claim, there is just no evidence for widespread clearing of the Maya forest–even during the so-called ‘collapse’–until the mid-20th century when extensive cattle grazing was promoted by international development agencies. “Before Colombus”, American agriculture was agroforestry, and involved continual regeneration of forest and biodiversity. This is what ‘conservationists’ need to accept–continual regeneration of forested landscape–not just ‘preserving what is left’. Mesoamerican agroforestry traditions still survive that could inform such a strategy.

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