| Slash-and-bum milpa practiced by Mayan farmers in Northern Yucatan Peninsula has become unsustainable. Fallow period lengths have decreased to an average of 7 years. Slashing young forest continually affects biodiversity, soil quality and overall ecosystem function. An agroforestry system was designed which incorporated traditional agricultural methods while mimicking dry tropical forest ecology. The design was tested with WaNuLCAS software by carrying out comparative simulations of tree-crop combinations (simple agroforestry scenarios) and testing the overall viability of a complex agroforestry system. Hedgerows of Gliricidia sepium and/or Brosimium alicastrum added to the traditional milpa were found to increase productivity of maize in the initial years of growth, while crop rotations (with Mucuna pruriens [mucuna] and Manihot esculenta [cassava]) paired with hedgerows of both gliricidia and ramon were found to boost productivity and yield stability. Final recommendations for agroforestry design were made which were found to be robust to 15% less rainfall and +2 degrees Celsius.;Keywords Maya, agroecology, agroforestry, alternatives to slash-and-burn, ecological modelling, WaNuLCAS, ecosystem services, dry tropical forest; yield stability; functional diversity. |
