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Copyright of Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Naturaleza y Sociedad. Desafíos Medioambientales is the property of Universidad de los Andes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We focus on pre-Columbian agricultural regimes in the Maya Lowlands, using new datasets of archaeological wood charcoal, seeds, phytoliths, and starch grains; biological properties of plants; and contemporary Indigenous practices. We address inherited models of agriculture in the lowlands: the limitations of the environment (finding more affordances than anticipated by earlier models); the homogeneity of agricultural strategies (finding more heterogeneity of strategies across the lowlands than a single rigid template); the centrality of maize in agriculture (finding more reliance on root crops and tree crops than historically documented); the focus on the milpa system as food base (finding more agroforestry, homegardening, horticulture, and wild resource management than previously documented); the dominance of swidden strategies in agricultural practices (finding more diverse practices than accounted for in most models); and the foregrounding of maize crop failure in collapse models (finding more evidence of resilience and sustainable agricultural practices than predicted). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue and liver metabolism play a key role in maintaining body homeostasis; therefore, their impairment conduces a pathological state. Nowadays, occidental lifestyle is a common etiological issue among a variety of chronic diseases, while diet is a unique strategy to prevent obesity and liver metabolism impairment and is a powerful player in the treatment of metabolic-related diseases. Mesoamerican foods are rich in bioactive molecules that enhance and improve adipose tissue and liver performance and represent a prophylactic and therapeutic alternative for disorders related to the loss of homeostasis in the metabolism of these two important tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Textual is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Milpa is a traditional polyculture production system mainly composed of corn, beans and pumpkin, together with other edible plants. It represents an important food and nutrients supply, but also bioactive compounds source, such as phenols, anthocyanins, phytosterols, phytates, resistant starch, peptides, among others compounds that confer multiple health benefits. Therefore, the aim of this work was to gather the scientific evidence on the health effects of the bioactive compounds found in the plants that belong to the milpa. Although there are few studies that report the interaction between different biomolecules and crops in combination, as in meant to be at regular eating; evidence, here summarized, suggests that consumption of milpa vegetables has an active effect of biomolecules from these crops was found active, mainly on chronic non-communicable diseases. Thus, the main objective of this study was to summarize the scientific evidence on bioactive compounds found in the plants grown as part of the milpa and their health-related benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before Euro-American settlement, many Native American nations intercropped maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and squash (Cucurbita pepo) in what is colloquially called the "Three Sisters." Here we review the historic importance and consequences of rejuvenation of Three Sisters intercropping (3SI), outline a framework to engage Native growers in community science with positive feedbacks to university research, and present preliminary findings from ethnography and a randomized, replicated 3SI experiment. We developed mutually beneficial collaborative research agendas with four Midwestern US Native American nations. Ethnographic data highlighted a culturally based respect for 3SI as living beings, the importance it holds for all cultural facets of these Native nations, and the critical impact the practice has on environmental sustainability. One concern expressed by Native growers during ethnographic research was improving soil health—part of the rationale for establishing the 3SI agronomic experiment. To address this, we collaboratively designed a 3SI experiment. After 1 year, 3SI increased short-term soil respiration by 24%, decreased salt-extractable nitrate by 54%, had no effect on soil microbial biomass (but increased its carbon-to-nitrogen ratio by 32%) compared to the average of monoculture crops. The overarching purpose of this collaborative project is to develop a deeper understanding of 3SI, its cultural importance to Native communities, and how reinvigorating the practice—and intercropping in general—can make agroecosystems more sustainable for people and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultura Sociedad y Desarrollo is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change has exacerbated food and livelihood insecurity for Mayan milpa farmers in Central America. For centuries, milpa farming has been sustainable for subsistence; however, in the last 50 years, milpas have become less reliable due to accelerating climate change, resource degradation, declining markets, poverty, and other factors. Increasing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices may be needed. Using interviews with extension leaders and milpa farmers in Belize, this qualitative study examines the capacity for increasing CSA aspects of existing traditional milpa practices, specifically no-burn mulching, soil enrichment, and the use of cover plants. Applying a modified Community Capitals Framework, this study finds four key capitals were perceived by farmers and agriculture extension leaders as barriers for increasing CSA practices. Recommendations to reduce the key barriers include reinstating markets and crop-buying programs and easing border customs restrictions (Governance-Justice and Financial Capitals), improving roads and cellular access for farmers (Infrastructure Capital), and increasing budgets and resources for agriculture extension services and building farmer capacity for CSA practices of mulching, soil enrichment, and cover plants (Human-Capacity Capital). Reducing barriers to these key capitals can facilitate an increase in milpa CSA practices and crop productivity, promote food and livelihood security, and enable climate resilience of Mayan milpa communities in Belize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeobios is the property of Arqueobios and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In traditional polycultures such as milpas, soil degradation and the loss of agrodiversity, threaten rural food security. Although agroecological management using crop functional and genetic diversity could improve soil fertility and family nutrition, experimental evidence is scarce. We conducted a field experiment in which conventional agricultural management (CON) was compared to an agroecological alternative (AGR), with interspecific and intraspecific diversification factors. We hypothesized that: (1) the higher input of organic matter and the suspension of tillage in AGR plots would improve soil conditions, nutrient content and productivity in maize, and intra-root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi as compared to CON plots; and that (2) these conditions would further improve in AGR management with increased intra- and interspecific diversity, since a diverse plant community in the rhizosphere should enhance microbial activity. AGR increased pH, the soil availability of K, Ca and Mg, K in leaves, and mycorrhizal colonization. Within AGR, diversified treatments temporarily increased NO3− in the soil. The fixation of nitrogen by additional legumes could have produced this result. We conclude that AGR with interspecific diversification is a viable alternative to CON, since a variety of additional edible plants became available concomitantly with the improvement of mycorrhizal relationships and soil conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared seasonal changes in food availability between Maya subsistence farmers and modern householders who pursue cash earnings in rural Yucatan. Modern households encourage the substitution of vegetable for animal protein that severely affects them during scarcity season, particularly in small towns. Subsistence households have increased their legume intake when food was scarce. Seasonality had the largest effect on fruit availability. Unable to obtain enough protein and micronutrient rich foods when meats, fruits and vegetables become scarce, modern households make up for it by purchasing more fats and sugars, particularly in large towns with many grocery stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economía Creativa is the property of Centro de Diseno y Comunicacion, S.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To characterize family production units (FPUs) to identify critical points for their activities and propose intervention strategies for them. Design/methodology/approach: The research took place at Yaxcabá municipality, state of Yucatán, Mexico. It is descriptive and its information obtained through 1) a questionnaire in a mobile application compatible with the Android operating system, structured by modules: producer data, FPU characteristics, crops, infrastructure, machinery, equipment, and marketing. The sample size was randomized with replacement, under the maximum variance condition, 2) assessment visits to the farmer's plots and 3) participatory community diagnosis workshops. Results: The traditional milpa system was oriented to the cultivation of corn, beans and squash of creole origin, for consumption by the FPUs with minimum technologies usage. Through apiculture, producers obtain an economic resource to finance other activities, including those of the milpa. It is, therefore, necessary to strengthen their productive capacities of this activity with a chain approach, for the diversification of their products and derivatives of their hives that allow their income to increase. Limitations on study/implications: The proposals and intervention strategies may only be applied to the production system in the evaluated area. Findings/conclusions: The strategies for the traditional milpa production should be oriented to food security, biodiversity preservation and the nutritional health of their related population. Apuculture strategies should aim to include producers in the value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case report, we present how we have approached the topic of the milpa in rural and indigenous contexts in Mexico as a basis for understanding the impacts of climate change, and as a traditional practice that can inform adaptation from a situated learning perspective in line with the curriculum. This research demonstrated effective ways to address climate change as a global problem that directly relates to local concerns and practices. This case used collaborative qualitative research to develop a training process in which teachers analyze learning progressions in their schools. The process included the design and implementation of relevant project materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful development of parasitoids of herbivores depends on the quality of their host, which is often affected by the host plant. Therefore, a parasitoid's oviposition decisions will directly depend on the host, but also on plant quality. Here, we investigated the direct effects of host species and the indirect effects of the host's food plant on the oviposition decisions and performance of the gregarious ectoparasitoid Euplectrus platyhypenae Howard (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). With a series of no‐choice experiments, we determined the oviposition and performance of the parasitoid on: (1) two caterpillar species, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and velvet armyworm, Spodoptera latifascia Walker, reared on maize (Zea mays L., Poaceae), (2) the same caterpillars reared on maize, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae), or squash (Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae) leaves, and (3) S. latifascia caterpillars reared on leaves of wild and cultivated lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus L. All these insects and plants originate from Mesoamerica where they have coexisted for thousands of years in the traditional agricultural system known as Milpa in which maize, beans, and squash are planted together. We found that the preferred and best combination of host and host plant for parasitoid performance was S. frugiperda on maize. Parasitoids laid larger clutches, had higher survival, and more females and larger adults emerged from S. frugiperda reared on maize. However, when both caterpillar species were reared on squash, S. latifascia was the better host. Contrary to the literature, S. frugiperda was not able to develop on bean plants. Results from the lima bean experiment showed that parasitoid performance was best when S. latifascia was reared on leaves of cultivated compared to wild lima bean. These findings are discussed in the context of mixed cropping in which the ability of generalist parasitoids to switch among hosts and host plant species could be advantageous for pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dwellings have an important role in human adaptation to their environment; it is therefore crucial to understand how people deal with variations in building materials. We studied the impact of transforming traditional agroecosystems on the perishable materials used to build vernacular dwellings in a Maya community in central Yucatan, Mexico. Occupants and builders identified traditional agroecosystems as the main source of traditional materials. Our informants cited fragmentation of landholdings and land use intensification of traditional agroecosystems as the main reasons for the decreasing availability of traditional materials, which, together with their perishable nature have led to their replacement by industrially produced materials, predominantly by households with limited involvement in agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecologia Austral is the property of Asociacion Argentina de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ingeniería Agrícola is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones de Ingenieria Agricola and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regions & Cohesion is the property of Berghahn Books and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Domestication has been influenced by formal plant breeding since the onset of intensive agriculture and the Green Revolution. Despite providing food security for some regions, intensive agriculture has had substantial detrimental consequences for the environment and does not fulfill smallholder's needs under most developing countries conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to look for alternative plant production techniques, effective for each environmental, socio-cultural, and economic conditions. This is particularly relevant for countries that are megadiverse and major centers of plant domestication and diversification. In this white paper, a Mexico-centered initiative is proposed, with two main objectives: (1) to study, understand, conserve, and sustainably use the genetic diversity of domesticated plants and their wild relatives, as well as the ongoing evolutionary processes that generate and maintain it; and (2) to strengthen food and forestry production in a socially fair and environmentally friendly way. To fulfill these objectives, the initiative focuses on the source of variability available for domestication (genetic diversity and functional genomics), the context in which domestication acts (breeding and production) and one of its main challenges (environmental change). Research on these components can be framed to target and connect both the theoretical understanding of the evolutionary processes, the practical aspects of conservation, and food and forestry production. The target, main challenges, problems to be faced and key research questions are presented for each component, followed by a roadmap for the consolidation of this proposal as a national initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the article is to contrast the practical knowledge that women and men possess about the quality and use of corn and beans, with the theoretical knowledge to evaluate the quality of these grains in the laboratory. There were 27 semi-structured interviews and two participatory workshops, in the mother tongue ‛triqui', in Santo Domingo of the state, region triqui high, Oaxaca. The hectolitre weight (PH) and flotation index (IF) were evaluated in 20 corn collections. In beans, cooking time (TC), water absorption capacity during soaking (CAA) and percentage of solids in the cooking broth (PSC) in 15 accessions were evaluated. The results were analyzed with a completely randomized design, comparison test of tukey means and correlations. The interviewees indicated preference for white corn, with hard grains (IF= 0-12) and intermediate grains (IF= 38- 62), followed by blue, pinto, yellow, red was less preferred. All the pigmented maize was hard grain (IF= 13-37). The pH was between 74-81 kg hl-1 . In beans, the species Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common) and Phaseolus coccineus L. (ayocote) were identified, the one with the longest tradition and preference for consumption was the ‛dry bean' (ayocote) which requires 317 min for cooking. The practical knowledge of men and women of Santo Domingo del Estado on the quality of corn and beans, showed an association with the theoretical trends of quality in corn; in the bean there was an association with the cooking time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The milpa is a traditional maize-based polyculture in Mexico that is typically practiced as rainfed agriculture. Because milpa cultivation has been practiced over a vast range of environmental and cultural conditions, this agroecosystem is recognized as an important repository of biological and cultural diversity. As for any agroecosystem, the relationship between plant development and the biogeochemical processes of the soil is critical. Although the milpa has been studied from different perspectives, the diversity and structure of microbial communities within milpa soils remain largely unexplored. In this study, we surveyed a milpa system in Central Mexico across cropping season: before planting (dry season; t1), during the early growth of plants (onset of the rainy season; t2), and before harvest (end of the rainy season; t3). In order to examine changes in community structure through time, we characterized bacterial diversity through highthroughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and recorded the nutrient status of multiple (5-10) soil samples from our milpa plots. We estimated microbial diversity from a total of 90 samples and constructed co-occurrence networks. Although we did not find significant changes in diversity or composition of bacterial communities across time, we identified significant rearrangements in their co-occurrence network structure. We found particularly drastic changes between the first and second time points. Co-occurrence analyses showed that the bacterial community changed from a less structured network at (t1) into modules with a non-random composition of taxonomic groups at (t2). We conclude that changes in bacterial communities undetected by standard diversity analyses can become evident when performing co-occurrence network analyses. We also postulate possible functional associations among keystone groups suggested by biogeochemical processes. This study represents the first contribution on soil microbial diversity of a maize-based polyculture and shows its dynamic nature in short-term scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional tropical agriculture often entails a form of slash-and-burn land management that may adversely affect ecosystem services such as pollination, which are required for successful crop yields. The Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico has a >4000 year history of traditional slash-and-burn agriculture, termed 'milpa'. Hot 'Habanero' chilli is a major pollinator-dependent crop that nowadays is often grown in monoculture within the milpa system., We studied 37 local farmers' chilli fields (sites) to evaluate the effects of landscape composition on bee communities. At 11 of these sites, we undertook experimental pollination treatments to quantify the pollination of chilli. We further explored the relationships between landscape composition, bee communities and pollination service provision to chilli., Bee species richness, particularly species of the family Apidae, was positively related to the amount of forest cover. Species diversity decreased with increasing proportion of crop land surrounding each sampling site. Sweat bees of the genus Lasioglossum were the most abundant bee taxon in chilli fields and, in contrast to other bee species, increased in abundance with the proportion of fallow land, gardens and pastures which are an integral part of the milpa system., There was an average pollination shortfall of 21% for chilli across all sites; yet the shortfall was unrelated to the proportion of land covered by crops. Rather, chilli pollination was positively related to the abundance of Lasioglossum bees, probably an important pollinator of chilli, as well indirectly to the proportion of fallow land, gardens and pastures that promote Lasioglossum abundance., Synthesis and applications. Current, low-intensity traditional slash-and-burn ( milpa) agriculture provides Lasioglossum spp. pollinators for successful chilli production; fallow land, gardens and pasture therefore need to be valued as important habitats for these and related ground-nesting bee species. However, the negative impact of agriculture on total bee species diversity highlights how agricultural intensification is likely to reduce pollination services to crops, including chilli. Indeed, natural forest cover is vital in tropical Yucatán to maintain a rich assemblage of bee species and the provision of pollination services for diverse crops and wild flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Relaciones: Estudios de Historia y Sociedad is the property of El Colegio de Michoacan, A.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Transformations that farmers bring to their traditional farming systems and their impacts on the conservation and evolution of maize varieties over a 12-year period are investigated using a longitudinal analysis. Despite the increased introduction and supply of improved maize variety seeds in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, over the last 12 years farmers continue to maintain a substantial amount of traditional maize variety diversity. Even with the increased availability of hybrid seeds, farmers in the community of Yaxcaba on average plant more than three quarters of their milpa fields to traditional maize varieties, with the latter one fourth predominately planted to a locally improved variety Nal Xoy, a farm cross of a traditional variety and an improved variety. We observed a significant reduction in yellow – x-Nuuk nal, a long-cycle traditional landrace, paralleled by an increase in short- and intermediate-cycle locally adapted improved maize varieties. We found great differences in the distribution of maize varieties by soil type, with modern varieties being targeted for the rarer, deeper and fine-grained soils, while traditional varieties predominate on the more prevalent stony and thin soils. Our results provide a picture in which most traditional maize varieties in Yaxcaba continue to be maintained by farmers, coexisting with locally adapted improved varieties on the same landscape, and allowing the continued evolution of maize populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Liminar is the property of Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Culturales is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Instituto de Investigaciones Culturales-Museo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using a sample of 40 sources reporting milpa and mucuna-intercropped maize yields in Mesoamerica, we test Boserup's () prediction that fallow is reduced as a result of growing population density. We further examine direct and indirect effects of population density on yield. We find only mixed support for Boserupian intensification. Fallow periods decrease slightly with increasing population density in this sample, but the relationship is weak. Controlling for other covariates, fallow-unadjusted maize yields first rise then fall with population density. Fallow-adjusted maize yields peak at 390 kg/ha/yr for low population densities (8 persons / km) and decline to around 280 kg/ha/yr for the highest population densities observed in our dataset. Fallow practices do not appear to mediate the relationship between population density and yield. The multi-level modeling methods we adopt allow for data clustering, accurate estimates of group-level variation, and they generate conditional predictions, all features essential to the comparative study of prehistoric and contemporary agricultural yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Agro Productividad is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Etnobiología is the property of Etnobiologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article discusses the appearance of a plague of locusts that affected several Mexican states and originated in the Yucatan region in the early 1880s. The author examines the devastation caused by the locusts on agricultural production, particularly of henequen, a type of agave plant. She also considers the actions undertaken by the local governments as well as the affected populations, which mainly consisted of Mayas, in an attempt to control the invading pests. A series of statistics related to the locust infestation is also cited throughout.

Copyright of Revista de Geografía Agrícola is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There are disproportionate adverse impacts related to climate change on rural subsistence farmers in southern Belize, Central America who depend directly on natural resources for their food and livelihood security. Promoting a more resilient farming system with key climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adaptations can improve productivity, sustainability, and food security for Mayan milpa farming communities. Once a sustainable system, the milpa has become less reliable in the last half century due to hydroclimatic changes (i.e., droughts, flooding, hurricanes), forest loss, soil degradation, and other factors. Using interviews with both milpa farmers and Extension officers in southern Belize. This qualitative study finds several socio-ecological system linkages of environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and adaptive technology factors, which influence the capacity for increasing CSA practices. Agriculture Extension, a government service of Belize, can facilitate effective CSA adaptations, specifically, an increase in mulching, soil nutrient enrichment, and soil cover, while working as partners within Maya farming traditions. These CSA practices can facilitate more equitable increases in crop production, milpa farm system sustainability, and resilience to climate change. However, there are several institutional and operational barriers in Extension which challenge their efficacy. Recommendations are presented in this study to reduce Extension barriers and promote an increase in CSA practices to positively influence food and livelihood security for milpa communities in southern Belize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]