DOCSLIB.ORG

Ecosystem Ecology and Sustainability in the Chinampa Raised-Field Agriculture of Mexico City

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ecosystem Ecology and Sustainability in the Chinampa Raised-Field Agriculture of Mexico City Ecosystem ecology and sustainability in the Chinampa raised-field agriculture of Mexico City A Master of Science thesis in Environmental Risk by Jorge Federico Miranda Vélez Supervisor: Niels H. Jensen Institute for Nature and Environment Roskilde University September 2018 Foreword I feel genuine pity for the poor souls who will read this thesis. They’ll drag themselves through page after page of dark references and impossibly convoluted approximations about the ecosystem ecology of carbon in the 15th-century Chinampas of central Mexico, an environment they likely just heard about for the first time, and then, after what seemed an eternity of squinting and drinking strong coffee, they’ll make it to the end, teary-eyed and gasping for air, only to turn the page and read the heading: "Nitrogen" Acknowledgements I suppose it’s only fair to name all the people that are to blame for this particular piece of work. After all, I can’t be responsible for all of it: My supervisor, Niels, for trusting me with this whole thing, but mostly for showing me how much of our world is contained within the soil we grow on. My loving wife, Nika, for putting up with my endless rants about nitrogen fluxes and even proof- reading the whole manuscript, and in general for refusing to let me starve myself to death in the living room armchair, typing this thesis on nothing but coffee. Katrine, Rikke, Torben and Anne, for not shooing me out of their laboratories with a broom, but instead helping me with my poorly-timed questions and requests. And finally, Diego, Maya, Leo and Armando from Humedalia A.C. for sharing their time, their space, their soil and their love for the wetlands of Xochimilco. This thesis would’ve never been written were it not for them. i Abstract This thesis presents an analysis of the prehispanic and modern chinampas of central Mexico through the lens of ecosystem ecology and soil science, aimed at gauging the actual richness and sustainability of this agricultural practice. To do so, it makes use of historical accounts and modern archaeological findings to reconstruct a cohesive conceptual model of what the Chinampa agricultural system, as well as the chinampa raised fields themselves, likely looked like in the late 15th century A.D. Onto this conceptual model, the Chinampa’s original ecosystem ecology is overlaid by calculating pools and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from known aspects of this agricultural system; and where detailed ecological knowledge is lacking, historical accounts and parallel ecosystems are brought in to fill in the gaps through extrapolation and inference. These conceptual models and theoretical nutrient cycles are brought closer to the ground by the combination of field work performed in the late 2017 and early 2018 in the extant chinampas of Xochimilco, Mexico, and subsequent laboratory analyses of soil and sediment samples collected in the field. The analyses, performed at Roskilde University in Denmark, focus around the quantification of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil of the extant chinampas and sediment from the modern canals of Xochimilco. Firstly, total carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as extracted nitrate and ammonium, were quantified in samples from a series of soil cores 1 m deep. Secondly, an experiment was carried out to estimate the biogeochemical changes in the canal sediment often used as soil amendment, a practice known as mucking. This experiment was run twice, once for 21 days and once for 64 days, and sediment samples were later analysed for total carbon and nitrogen, as well as nitrate and ammonium content and total, inorganic and Olsen phosphorus. Finally, making use of the experimental results obtained and literature centred on the study of the present-day chinampa landscape, a new conceptual model and ecosystem ecology are discussed in a manner that considers present socio-environmental conditions and current agricultural practices that in the modern Chinampa landscape. This thesis concludes with recount of the most important ecosystem processes and agricultural practices that can have important roles in the sustainability, and ultimately the survival, of Chinampa agriculture in Mexico. ii Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................. i Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................. ii 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Problem Formulation ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Sustainability in this thesis ...................................................................................................................... 5 3. The Premodern Chinampa from Myth and Theory ....................................................................................... 7 3.1 Environment, construction and morphology .......................................................................................... 8 3.2 Carbon pools and fluxes ........................................................................................................................ 14 3.3 Nitrogen pools and fluxes ...................................................................................................................... 25 3.4 Phosphorus pools and cycles ................................................................................................................. 32 4. The Chinampa Environment Today ............................................................................................................. 40 5. Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 45 5.1 Soil Core and Water Sampling ............................................................................................................... 45 5.1.1 Site selection................................................................................................................................... 45 5.1.2 Soil core extraction ......................................................................................................................... 48 5.1.3 Bulk density sample extraction ...................................................................................................... 49 5.1.4 Canal water and groundwater sampling ........................................................................................ 49 5.2 Muck decomposition experiment ......................................................................................................... 49 5.2.1 Muck extraction .............................................................................................................................. 50 5.2.2 Experiment setup ........................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.3 Sediment sample extraction and storage in Mexico ...................................................................... 52 5.3 Soil Properties Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 52 5.3.1 Bulk Density .................................................................................................................................... 52 5.3.2 Organic Matter Content ................................................................................................................. 52 5.3.3 CaCO3 Qualitative Test ................................................................................................................... 53 5.4 Nutrient Analyses .................................................................................................................................. 53 5.4.1 Total Carbon and Total Nitrogen by Organic Elemental Analysis ................................................... 53 5.4.2 Total phosphorus in Core samples by ICP-MS ................................................................................ 53 5.4.3 Canal Water Sample Preparation ................................................................................................... 55 5.4.4 Phosphorus Analysis of Groundwater and Canal Water by ICP-MS ............................................... 55 iii 5.4.5 Muck decomposition experiment (EXP) sample water content determination and preparation . 55 5.4.6 Total Carbon and Nitrogen by Organic Elemental Analysis ............................................................ 55 5.4.7 Total and Inorganic Phosphorus Acid Extraction ............................................................................ 56 5.4.8 Olsen (Labile) Phosphorus Extraction ............................................................................................. 56 5.4.9 Phosphorus Analysis in EXP subsamples by Colorimetry ............................................................... 56 5.4.10 KCl extraction from wet EXP samples and top Core samples ....................................................... 57
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Social Economic and Environmental Impacts of Trade
    Journal of Business and Economics, ISSN 2155-7950, USA June 2020, Volume 11, No. 6, pp. 655-659 Doi: 10.15341/jmer(2155-7993)/06.11.2020/003 Academic Star Publishing Company, 2020 http://www.academicstar.us The Environmental Problematic of Xochimilco Lake, Located in Mexico City Ana Luisa González Arévalo (Institute of Economic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico) Abstract: This article presents the geographical location of Lake Xochimilco, some economic and social characteristics of the mayoralty of Xochimilco are mentioned; the inhabitants living in poverty. Subsequently, the serious pollution of this lake and its impact on the health of the inhabitants living near the lake is. Finally, it puts forward some proposals to get started, albeit very slowly reversing this problem Key words: pollution; environment; water; lake; aquifers; geographical location of Lake Xochimilco JEL code: Q53 1. Introduction In this work is geographically located to Lake Xochimilco within the mayoralty of the same name belonging to Mexico City. Subsequently factors are presented such as the total population of this area, a comparison with the total of Mexico City and other more populated mayoralties. Later, this district of Xochimilco is located using some variables such as economic units, occupied personnel, total gross production and fixed assets and some social aspects are mentioned as population and people in poverty. Subsequently I will aboard the serious pollution in the Lake of Xochimilco, which is located 28 kilometers from the Historic Center of Mexico City. 2. Geographical Location of Lake Xochimilco Lake Xochimilco is in the southeast of Mexico City, in the mayoralty of Xochimilco, located 28 kilometers from the city center.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquaponics: a Brief History
    Aquaponics: a brief history The idea of combining fish and veggie production into an integrated system is far from new. Ancient precedents for integrated aquaculture include the chinampas of Mexico and the integrated rice paddy systems across parts of Asia. But how did we get from these sorts of ancient land-based systems all the way to backyard aquaponics? Aquaponics is a term that was coined in the 1970s, but the practice has ancient roots – although there is some debate on its first occurrence. The earliest example of one branch may be the lowland Maya, followed by the Aztecs, who raised plants on rafts on the surface of a lake in approximately 1,000 A.D. The Aztecs cultivated a system of agricultural islands known as chinampas in a system considered by some to be the first form of aquaponics for agricultural use. Chinampas are networks of canals and stationary artificial islands in which they cultivated crops on the islands using nutrient-rich mud and water from the canals. In the early chinampa systems, plants were raised on stationary (and sometime movable) islands in lake shallows. Nutrient-rich waste materials dredged from the Chinampa canals and the surrounding cities was then used to manually irrigate the plants above. Animal housing located over fish ponds to utilize manure as fish food The earliest example of another branch can be found in South China, Thailand, and Indonesia, where the cultivation and farming rice in paddy fields in combination with fish are cited as examples of early aquaponics systems. These polycultural farming systems existed in many Far Eastern countries and raised fish such as the oriental loach, swamp eel, Common and crucian carp as well as pond snails in the paddies.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc.Endohelminths of Some Species of Fishes from Lake
    Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad ISSN: 1870-3453 [email protected] Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México García-López, María de Lourdes; Salguero-Vargas, Guadalupe; García-Prieto, Luis; Osorio-Sarabia, David; Pérez-Ponce de León, Gerardo Endohelminths of some species of fishes from Lake Xochimilco, Mexico Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, vol. 87, núm. 4, diciembre, 2016, pp. 1-5 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Distrito Federal, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=42548632023 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Modele + RMB-2182; No. of Pages 5 ARTICLE IN PRESS Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad xxx (2016) xxx–xxx www.ib.unam.mx/revista/ Research note Endohelminths of some species of fishes from Lake Xochimilco, Mexico Endohelmintos de algunos peces del lago de Xochimilco, México a a a María de Lourdes García-López , Guadalupe Salguero-Vargas , Luis García-Prieto , b a,∗ David Osorio-Sarabia , Gerardo Pérez-Ponce de León a Laboratorio de Helmintología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado postal 70-157, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico b Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Plantel Oriente, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Canal de San Juan S/N, Iztapalapa, Tepalcates, 09210 Mexico City, Mexico Received 20 October 2015; accepted 16 June 2016 Abstract The helminth fauna of 8 introduced and 1 native species (Chirostoma jordani) of freshwater fishes from Xochimilco Lake in southern México City, Mexico, is studied for the first time.
    [Show full text]
  • Magazinenumber 7, Augus
    These women sell part of their produce at the market of Los Chillos César Jaramillo Avila The Economics of Urban Agriculture MAGAZINE NUMBER 7, AUGUST 2002 AUGUST NUMBER 7, Urban agriculture provides multiple functions and benefits America, and many of them incorporate to urban dwellers and cities. Political support is growing and agriculture as part of their livelihood further research and financial support to enhance the strategies. Although the contribution of contribution of urban agriculture to sustainable urban urban agriculture to the GDP (Gross development is necessary. In this issue of the UA-Magazine Domestic Product) may be small, its we focus on the analysis and understanding of the importance to many city inhabitants is economics of urban agriculture, during periods of economic substantial, especially in difficult times recession as well as in times of a well developing economy. (see the Buenos Aires, Quito and Harare case studies). he Economics of Urban Agriculture is Urban agriculture arises not only out of a wide area of study. Moustier (2001) crisis situations, but also exists because of T discusses the following indicators to nearness to urban markets and the show and measure the economic impacts comparative advantages this location of urban agriculture: employment (popu- provides for delivery of fresh perishable lation involved), income and income dis- products as milk (Nairobi), eggs, meat and tribution, cash readiness, contribution to fresh vegetables (Kumasi), the availability household food, added value, contribu- of productive resources (water, compost tion to urban food supply, and share in of urban organic wastes), closeness to market(s). Various case studies are pre- institutions providing credit, technical sented in this issue analysing such factors advice and market information, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Chinampa Soil Or Floating Gardens in Mexico
    Rev. Int. Contam. Ambie. 31 (4) 343-350, 2015 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM A CHINAMPA SOIL OR FLOATING GARDENS IN MEXICO Nadia Livia ORTIZ-CORNEJO1, Marco LUNA-GUIDO2, Yadira RIVERA-ESPINOZA1, María Soledad VÁSQUEZ-MURRIETA1*, Víctor Manuel RUÍZ-VALDIVIEZO3 and Luc DENDOOVEN2 1 Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, México, D.F., México, C.P. 11340 2 Laboratorio de Ecología del Suelo, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, México D.F., México, C.P. 07360 3 Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Carretera Panamericana km 1080, Colonia Juan Crispin, Tuxtla-Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México, C. P. 29050 * Corresponding author: [email protected] (Received January 2015; accepted April 2015) Key words: GHG, fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, global warming potential, C sequestration ABSTRACT Agriculture in chinampas or ‘floating gardens’, is still found on the south of Mexico City, it is a high yield pre-Columbian cultivation system, which has soils enriched with organic matter. The objective of this research was to determine the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a chinampa soil cultivated with amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.), maize (Zea mays L.) or uncultivated. The soil was characterized and fluxes of GHG (CO2, N2O and CH4) were monitored for one year. The chinampa soil was alkaline saline with an organic C content that ranged from 21.7 t/ha in the 0-20 cm layer of the soil cultivated with amaranth to 28.4 t/ha in the 20-40 cm layer of the uncultivated soil.
    [Show full text]
  • The Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum)
    The Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) The axolotl in the wild is limited to two lakes, Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in central Mexico. Not much of either exists any more. There are other similar species such as Ambystoma andersoni in other lakes in central Mexico. The axolotl has a special feature in that it remains in its larval stage for its whole life, which can be up to 15 years in captivity, and even breeds, in this larval stage. The male axolotl will “dance” with the female and leave spermatophores lying around and lead the female over to them to pick them up, and in a couple of days she lays hundreds of eggs, which are quite large and often used for research. Sex cannot be determined until they get to full size (around a year), then the males develop a rather large cloaca (swelling behind their back legs). And research is why we see axolotls today in the pet trade. Axolotls have another amazing feature - they can grow back or regenerate damaged or missing arms, legs, tail, and even parts of organs. There are large colonies kept at various universities all over the world and they are used extensively for regeneration research, and most recently in cancer research. There appears to be a possible chemical in axolotl eggs that can shut off tumour cells. So although the population in the wild is declining, there are hundreds of thousands of axolotls in fish tanks around the world. As a pet they are pretty easy to keep. They don’t need any heat, preferring colder water, as the lake in Mexico where they come from rarely reaches above 20 degrees Celsius.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquaponics: ARCHNES Community and Economic Development MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE by of Tecf-WOLOGY
    Aquaponics: ARCHNES Community and Economic Development MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE by OF TECf-WOLOGY Elisha R. Goodman JUN 3 0 2011 BA, Sociology L12RARIES Arizona State University, 2005 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF URBAN STUDIES AND PLANNING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN CITY PLANNING AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUNE 2011 © 2011 Elisha R Goodman. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT the permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of the thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: Department of Urban Studies and Planning May 18, 2011 Certified by: Anne Whiston Spirn, MLA Professor of Landscape Architecture and Planning r----....... Thesis Supervisor Accepted by: Professor Joseph Ferreira Chair, MCP Committee Department of Urban Studies and Planning 2 Aquaponics: Community and Economic Development By Elisha R. Goodman Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning On May 18, 2011 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master in City Planning ABSTRACT This thesis provides a cash flow analysis of an aquaponics system growing tilapia, perch, and lettuce in a temperate climate utilizing data collected via a case study of an aquaponics operation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Literature regarding the financial feasibility of aquaponics as a business is scant. This thesis determines that in temperate climates, tilapia and vegetable sales or, alternatively, yellow perch and vegetable sales are insufficient sources of revenue for this aquaponics system to offset regular costs when grown in small quantities and when operated as a stand-alone for-profit business.
    [Show full text]
  • WHAT IS the STATUS of the MEXICAN AXOLOTL? H.I. GRIFFITHS and D.H
    British Herpetological Society Bulletin, No. 26, 1988. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE MEXICAN AXOLOTL? H.I. GRIFFITHS and D.H. THOMAS School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales College of Cardiff, P 0 Box 915, Cardiff CF1 3TL The Mexican Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum Shaw 1789, is most certainly the most widely used research species of the urodela, having generated in excess of 3300 publications by 1971 alone (Smith and Smith, 1971). Despite this the natural history of the Axolotl and of the other Mexican members of the Ambystomatidae is almost totally unknown. Brandon (1970) undertook a short field study of A. dumerilli at Lake Patzcuaro in the mountains of Michoacan, but other than this field data for most species appears to consist of little more than records of captures made by Feder, Lynch, Shaffer and Wake (1982). The situation for A. mexicanum is surprisingly little better. The species has been recorded from only two localities (Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in the Valley of Mexico) though it may also have been previously present in the channels joining Lake Zumpango and Lake Texcoco (Frost, 1985; Fig. 1). First hand accounts of the species habitat are few and far between. Velasco made a series of observations at the site in October 1879 (Kranz, Smith and Smith, 1971) and interestingly recorded that the species did metamorphose at Lake Xochimilco in late October/early November. Hans Gadow also visited the site (Gadow, 1903) but his account, though giving a little information about Lake Xochimilco, falls short of real field observation. Feder et al.
    [Show full text]
  • An Instructional Module on Permaculture Design Theory for Landscape Architecture Students
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies 5-2016 An Instructional Module on Permaculture Design Theory for Landscape Architecture Students Keni Althouse Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports Recommended Citation Althouse, Keni, "An Instructional Module on Permaculture Design Theory for Landscape Architecture Students" (2016). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 793. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/793 This Creative Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE ON PERMACULTURE DESIGN THEORY FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS by Keni Althouse A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Approved: __________________________ __________________________ Phillip S. Waite Jennifer R. Reeve, PhD Major Professor Committee Member __________________________ Benjamin H. George, PhD Committee Member UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2016 ii Copyright Keni Althouse 2016 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT An Instructional Module on Permaculture Design Theory for Landscape Architecture Students by Keni Althouse, Master of Landscape Architecture Utah State University, 2016 Major Professor: Phillip S. Waite Department: Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Permaculture guides designers to mimic patterns and relationships found in nature. It is a design theory that tailors toward many people’s desire for more sustainable living. This theory offers a unique set of design principles that are very implementable into the design process and could be of great interest to landscape architects.
    [Show full text]
  • Ambystoma Mexicanum (Caudata, Ambystomatidae)
    Ann. Zool. Fennici 47: 223–238 ISSN 0003-455X (print), ISSN 1797-2450 (online) Helsinki 30 August 2010 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2010 Urban aquatic habitats and conservation of highly endangered species: the case of Ambystoma mexicanum (Caudata, Ambystomatidae) Ernesto Recuero1, Juan Cruzado-Cortes2, Gabriela Parra-Olea3,* & Kelly R. Zamudio4 1) Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain 2) Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Tercer Circuito exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, C.P. 04510, México, D. F., México 3) Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Tercer Circuito exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, C.P. 04510, México, D. F., México (*corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected]) 4) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA Received 27 May 2009, revised version received 7 Jan. 2010, accepted 2 Feb. 2010 Recuero, E., Cruzado-Cortes, J., Parra-Olea, G. & Zamudio, K. R. 2010: Urban aquatic habitats and conservation of highly endangered species: the case of Ambystoma mexicanum (Caudata, Ambystomatidae). — Ann. Zool. Fennici 47: 223–238. Species with highly restricted distributions are vulnerable to extinction, and modifica- tion of natural habitats within their small ranges is a primary threat to their persistence. Expansion of urban development significantly impacts natural habitats and, therefore, threatens local diversity. The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, is a strictly aquatic species that persists currently in two highly threatened and isolated populations. The current habitat remaining for these species are remnants of a historically extensive lacustrine system that occupied the entire Valley of Mexico, but has been destroyed by the growth of Mexico City.
    [Show full text]
  • Enduring Farms: Climate Change, Smallholders and Traditional Farming Communities
    Enduring Farms: Climate Change, Smallholders and Traditional Farming Communities Miguel A Altieri and Parviz Koohafkan TWN Third World Network Penang, Malaysia Enduring Farms: Climate Change, Smallholders and Traditional Farming Communities Published by Third World Network 131 Jalan Macalister 10400 Penang, Malaysia. Website: www.twnside.org.sg © Miguel A Altieri and Parviz Koohafkan 2008 Printed by Jutaprint 2 Solok Sungei Pinang 3, Sg. Pinang 11600 Penang, Malaysia. ISBN: 978-983-2729-55-6 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE RURAL POOR 3 3 IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SMALLHOLDERS/TRADITIONAL FAMILY FARMING COMMUNITIES 7 4 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF TRADITIONAL FARMING SYSTEMS IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE 12 5 EXTENT OF TRADITIONAL AND FAMILY FARMING SYSTEMS 17 6 COPING MECHANISMS AND STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE RESILIENCY TO CLIMATIC VARIABILITY 20 7 GLOBALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS 30 8 CAPTURING WATER IN DRYLAND ENVIRONMENTS 37 9 FARMERS’ INNOVATION AND LOCAL APPROACHES IN CLIMATICALLY MARGINAL ENVIRONMENTS 48 10 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 55 REFERENCES 58 About the Authors Miguel A Altieri has been a Professor of Agroecology at the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley since 1981. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) programme, whose goal is to dynamically conserve the world’s remaining traditional farming systems. He is also President of the Latin American Scientific Society of Agroecology (SOCLA) and Coordinator of the International Agroecology Program of the Center for the Study of the Americas in Berkeley.
    [Show full text]
  • AC21 Doc. 11.2
    AC21 Doc. 11.2 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ___________________ Twenty-first meeting of the Animals Committee Geneva (Switzerland), 20-25 May 2005 Periodic review of animal species included in the CITES Appendices PREVIOUSLY SELECTED SPECIES 1. This cover page and Annex 1 have been prepared by the Secretariat, and Annexes 2 and 3 have been submitted by Mexico. 2. At its 15th meeting (AC15; Antananarivo, 1999), the Animals Committee selected 31 species in the context of its ongoing periodic review of animal species included in the CITES Appendices. The Animals Committee decided that the list should consist of four to six species from Appendices I and II per large taxonomic group in the animal kingdom. Criteria for selection and priority setting were that the species chosen: should not have been previously reviewed according to Resolution Conf. 9.24 [now replaced by Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP13)]; were listed in early meetings of the Conferences of the Parties; had varied ranges and biological properties; had characteristics useful in testing the reliability of the listing criteria; and were in trade to different degrees. Parties volunteered to undertake several of these reviews, which were scheduled to be completed and submitted to the Secretariat by the end of 1999. 3. By the 16th meeting of the Animals Committee (AC16; Sheperdstown, 2000), reviews for only nine of the 36 selected species had been competed. The Animals Committee nevertheless added two more species to the list (Cnemidophorus hyperythrus and Ornithoptera alexandrae). By its 19th meeting (AC19; Geneva, 2003), 14 taxa had been reviewed.
    [Show full text]