Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 4-4-1995 A Cultural Historical Study of Land Use in Dade County, Florida James R. Riach Florida International University, Department of Environmental Studies, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI07091101 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Riach, James R., "A Cultural Historical Study of Land Use in Dade County, Florida" (1995). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida A CULTURAL HISTORICAL STUDY OF LAND USE IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN COMPARATIVE SOCIOLOGY by James Robert Riach 1995 To: Dean Arthur W. Herriott College of Arts and Sciences This thesis, written by James Robert Riach, and entitled A CULTURAL HISTORICAL STUDY OF LAND USE IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to your judgement. We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. Bradley C. Bennett Alex Stepidk ennis W. Wiedman William T. Vickers, Major Professor Date of Defense: April 4, 1995 The thesis of James Robert Riach is approved. Dean Ar hur W. Herriott Col ge of Arts and Sciences Dr. Richard L. Campbell Dean of Graduate Studies Florida International University, 1995 ii ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS A CULTURAL HISTORICAL STUDY OF LAND USE IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA by James Robert Riach Florida International University, 1995 Miami, Florida Professor William T. Vickers, Major Professor Humans have used the land within the area currently defined as Dade County, Florida since around 11,000 B.P., but did not significantly alter the local environment until less than one hundred years ago. These recent changes greatly affected many critical ecological factors, thereby reducing the sustainability of many types of life, including humans. This study explains how land use evolved from earlier sustainable systems for satisfying human needs into the current menacing patterns. This is done by examining the environmental, technological, social, and cognitive contexts of land use through time. Changes in all these areas have followed a general trend leading to increasing intensity of land use and environmental change driven by population growth and technological innovation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION .................... ........................ 1 Foreword............................... ................ 1 Dade County ........................................... 2 Land Use and Environmental Problems...................2 The Need for an Anthropological Perspective...........6 History of Ecological Anthropology and Related Theories...................................... 8 Environmental Determinism ........................... 9 Environmental Possibilism.........................13 Environmental Challenge............................14 Culture Area Approach..............................15 Cultural Evolutionism ..............................17 Cultural Ecology..................................19 Ecosystemic Approach ............................... 21 Neo-Darwinian Evolutionary Ecology................22 Adaptive Dynamics ................................. 22 Cultural Materialism..............................24 Concepts of Environmental Risks and Hazards..........26 The Concept of Maladaptation..........................27 Research Design...................................... 29 Methods................................... *.......... 31 The Significance of this Research.................... 34 iv II. ENVIRONMENTAL DESCRIPTION OF DADE COUNTY..............36 Biogeography ......................................... 36 Sea Level Changes....................................37 Climate...............................................41 Physiographic Regions and Geographical Zones.........43 Soils................................................. 47 Vegetation Communities of Physiographic Regions......49 Everglades Region.................................50 Marsh Flora and Fauna...........................59 Tree Island Flora and Fauna....................63 Changes to the Everglades......................64 Miami Rock Ridge Region............................66 Hammock Flora and Fauna.........................68 Pineland Flora and Fauna........................70 Changes to the Miami Rock Ridge................ 71 Biscayne Bay Region .............................. 72 Estuarine Flora and Fauna.......................73 Changes to Biscayne Bay........................ 75 Coastal Region.................................... 76 Mangrove Flora and Fauna....................... 77 Salt Marsh Flora and Fauna .................... 79 Beach Strand Flora and Fauna................... 79 Changes to the Coast........................... 80 Big Cypress Spur Region........................... 82 Cypress Forest Flora and Fauna................. 83 Changes in the Big Cypress Spur................ 84 v Southern Slope Region..................... .... ..... 85 Changes to the Southern Slope .................. 86 Atlantic Ocean Region. ............................ 87 Groundwater .............. ............................ 91 Summary of Chapter .................................. 92 III. THE PRE-COLUMBIAN ERA (14,000 B.P.-A.D. 1512)........94 Overview of the Pre-Columbian Era...................94 Paleo-Indian Period (14,000-8,500 B.P.)............. 98 Environment........................................... 99 Technology........................................... 101 Subsistence Selectivity ....................... 103 Tools ...... .................................... 105 Social Dimension.................................. 105 Cognitive Dimension............................... 106 Archaic Period (8,500-2,500 B.P.) .................. 106 Sites in Dade County.............................. 107 Environment ...................................... 109 Technology............... ......................... 109 Subsistence Selectivity....................... 110 Tools .............. ..... ...................... 112 House Structures .............. ............... 112 Social Dimension..... ............................. 112 Cognitive Dimension............................... 113 Formative Period (2,500 B.P.-A.D. 1512)............ 114 Sites in Dade County... ................ ...........115 vi Technology ......... .. ......................... .119 Coastal Zone Faunal Subsistence............... 120 Habitat-Specific Selectivity ............... 120 Coastal Zone Floral Subsistence...............124 Habitat-Specific Selectivity............... 125 Inland Zone Faunal Subsistence................126 Habitat-Specific Selectivity............... 127 Inland Zone Floral Subsistence................129 Procurement and Use of Flora.................. 130 Procurement and Use of Aquatic Fauna..........131 Sharks ..................................... 131 Rays ....................................... 132 Manatees ................................... 133 Whales ..................................... 133 Small Bony Fish............................ 134 Turtles..................................... 135 Invertebrates..............................135 Procurement and Use of Terrestrial Fauna......136 Deer ....................................... 137 Small Mammals.............................. 137 Tortoises...................................138 Snakes, Alligators, Amphibians, and Birds..138 House Structures...............................138 Social Dimension..................................139 Migratory Patterns............................141 Population................ ... ................ 142 vii Socio-Political Organization...................143 Cognitive Dimension: Religion .................... 145 Summary of Chapter..................................148 IV. PRE-URBAN POST-COLUMBIAN ERA (A.D. 1513-1895)........157 Introduction........................................157 Spanish Contact Period: A.D. 1513-1789.............. 158 Environmental Risks and Hazards .................. 159 Social Dimension: Population and Socio-Political Relations.........................................161 Technology ....................................... 162 Plant and Animal Use.......................... 162 Fishing........................................164 Agriculture and Drainage.......................164 Land Surveys...................................165 Cognitive Dimension: Mythology and Religion......165 Pioneer Settlement Period: A.D. 1790-1895........... 166 Environmental Risks and Hazards .................. 168 Social Dimension..................................170 Settlement.................................... 170 Population .................................... 174 Technology....................................... 174 Subsistence................................... 175 Houses ............................... ......... 177 Transportation..................... .......... 178 Coontie Starch Industry....................... 179 viii Hunting and Trading ........................... 181 Agriculture...................................... 183 Wrecking........................................