The impact of ancient Mesoamerican cities on long-term environmental sustainability: the view from historical ecology

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Ecology and Evolution

Lane F. Fargher-Navarro¹  Ricardo Antorcha-Pedemonte¹  Tlacaelel Rivera-Núñez² 

[1] Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN - Unidad Mérida, Merida, Mexico;Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad, Instituto de Ecología, A. C, Xalapa, Mexico;

关键词: sustainability;    resilience;    biodiversity;    urbanism;    Mesoamerica;    Maya lowlands;    Tlaxcala;    historical ecology;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fevo.2023.1237953

 received in 2023-06-10, accepted in 2023-09-20,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The impact of ancient urban occupations on sustainability has recently become a topic of interest for archaeologists as well as many other scholars. Much of this archaeological research has focused on documenting the longevity of ancient cities and elucidating the social and economic strategies employed at the urban and regional scales to promote urban sustainability. In this article, we add to this discussion by addressing the issue of sustainability by considering the impact of environmental legacies left by ancient cities after their abandonment. Using a series of cases from pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica [OMYK (Coba), Kiuic, Lagunas de Yalahau, and Tlaxcallan], we show through ethnoecological and historical ecological research that in some cases pre-Hispanic people, living in urban zones, affected “intermediate” disturbances that increased biodiversity, biomass, and sustainability by creating second natures that have endured for centuries.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Antorcha-Pedemonte, Rivera-Núñez and Fargher-Navarro