Forest Resources at Calakmul based on Modern Forest Surveys and Lidar Assessment

Summary

This is an abstract from the "New and Emerging Perspectives on the Bajo el Laberinto Region of the Maya Lowlands, Part 1" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Forest resources supported a sizeable population at the Maya city of Calakmul for centuries. This study addresses questions about maximum potential carrying capacity based on aboveground biomass (AGB) production and the diversity of ethnobotanically significant forest species. AGB of the modern forest was calculated by both modern vegetation surveys and Lidar returns. Because sectors within the forest varied in AGB, a spectral classification of satellite images was used to determine distribution of vegetation communities. The forest resource extractive zone of Calakmul, the area where inhabitants would have collected wood for fuel, timber, and other essential resources, was defined by a Voronoi diagram based on archaeological settlement data. The Voronoi diagram was superimposed over satellite images to determine the total AGB for the resource extractive zone. Based on forest growth data, pollen profiles revealing ancient forest clearance and assuming sustainable wood consumption, AGB available for annual consumption was estimated. In addition to wood, inhabitants would have relied on the forest for food, medicine, and other essential needs. An assessment of species composition and prevalence of ethnobotanically significant woody species in the modern forest revealed a broad spectrum of non-timber forest products likely available to the ancient Maya.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• New and Emerging Perspectives on the Bajo el Laberinto Region of the Maya Lowlands, Part 1   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39469.0