A maize landscape: Ethnicity and agro-biodiversity in Chiapas Mexico

Abstract

The ecology of maize ( Zea mays L.) in Mexico, its center of domestication and diversity, has been researched for several decades. While the broad outlines of diversity and dynamics of native maize populations are known at the farm and national levels, these topics are less well known at the landscape level. Although environmental factors are the principal forces behind the overall diversity of the species in Mexico, recent research suggests that social origin, for instance community of residence or ethno-linguistic group, influences maize population structure at more local levels. A landscape perspective can help to determine whether these social factors operate in a consistent fashion across different environments. Case study data from Chiapas are presented and used to illustrate the role of ethnicity in understanding the ecology of maize diversity in Mexico. The paper contrasts the maize populations and management practices of Spanish speaking mestizos and Mayan language speaking indigenous people across four altitude zones in Chiapas. Environmental differences are primary in determining the overall pattern of maize diversity across the Chiapan landscape, but social origin has a significant effect on maize populations in all environments.