Gene,
I think you should contact someone on the waiting list about taking
my spot for the rest of the sparrow class. As it turned out, even Montlake
Fill alone was too much--way too much--walking for me. Luckily I had
brought my cane but even then I wasn't up to it. And unfortunately I don't
really know in advance how much walking I can do. So why don't you see if
anyone would like to step into my place. I wish I could hang in there. You
really impart the excitement of birdwatching. Tom







At 10:26 AM 11/20/95 -0800, you wrote:
>The thread continues to unwind... (Gene Hunn)
>
>On Sun, 19 Nov 1995 jbroadus at seanet.com wrote:
>
>> A comment on Gene Hunn's statement:
>>
>> (snip) Mexican Indian societies pre-Conquest achieved very high
>> >densities but the worst environmental deterioration in Mexico seem
>> >attributable to colonial and post-colonial land use patterns, driven by
>> >external demand. My point is that it's not simply density but the nature
>> >of the system: is it oriented toward competing in a global market or is
>> >it more locally or regionally contained.
>> (snip)
>>
>> I do not claim to be an expert on this, Mesoamerican archaeology was merely
>> my minor at University of Texas back in the '60's, even before we could read
>> Mayan writing. But correct me if I'm wrong--I thought there was a fair
amount
>> of evidence of severe environmental degradation in the large Maya
>
>I believe the jury is still out on the primary cause(s) of the Classic
>Maya collapse. The hypothesis that the Peten grasslands were
>anthropogenic has, I believe, been discounted. We now know that the
>Maya practiced intensive ridged field farming in marshy environments,
>analogous to the "chinampas" of the Valley of Mexico. There is eveidence
>of deforestation for fuel wood & construction in the vicinity of Coban
>that may have led to the abandonment of that site. And the osteological
>evidence for deteriorating nutrition is also well documented. I don't
>wish to claim they never exceeding sustainable populations. However,
>when they did they suffered the immediate consequences. The forest
>reclaimed their cities. The severe erosion now evident in western Oaxaca
>and central highland Chiapas and elsewhere is apparently largely
>attributable to colonial period mismanagement. And, of course, the
>recent deforestation of the Lacandon rainforest is largely due to cattle
>ranching schemes piggy backed on a road system constructed for oil
>exploration & highgrading of tropical hardwoods, not subsistence farming.
>
>Gene Hunn.
> >
>------------------------------------- >
>Name: Jerry Broadus > jbroadus at seanet.com
>> 901-16th. St S.W.
>> Puyallup, Wa. 98371
>> 206-845-3156
>> Time: 20:18:56
>>
>>
>
>