Effects of Changes in Traditional Agroecosystems on Vernacular Dwellings: the Occupants' Perspective.

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]