Mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ) in the Maya Lowlands: Implications for Past Land Use and Environmental Change?

Introduction

The levels of influence that ancient farmers and their agricultural strategies had on the species' composition of present-day tropical forests have been a source of debate and sometimes contention among academics (Alcorn 1981; Puleston 1982; Lambert and Arnason 1982; Gomes-Pompa et al. 1987; Denevan 1992a; Peters 2000). While some studies claim that the presence of certain species today represent a direct link to the past and an indication of their ancient importance (Puleston 1982; Gomez-Pompa et al. 1987), other research has shown that ecological, not cultural factors determine today's tropical forest species' composition (Lambert and Arnason 1982). Both perspectives reign true in individual situations. Ancient agroforestry practices no doubt contributed to the composition and structure of today's forests (Alcorn 1981), but the ecology of each species also played a role regarding the presence of certain species as well. Even when a certain species was widely cultivated in the past, if that species was then not able to adapt to and compete in the successional process that ensues as fields are abandoned, it is unlikely to be present in today's tropical forests. For example, disturbance dependent and early successional wild species (often found in abandoned milpas) such as cecropia (Cecropia palmata) fall out of the forest community as canopies develop and close. Moreover, in some places dramatic environmental changes such as sea level changes along the coast precluded the continuity of ancient species (McKillop 1995).

This discussion paper comments on what the presence of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in recent and modern southern Maya forests (the Peten, Mexico, Honduras, and Belize), indicates about past land use practices. In doing so, this paper contributes to the long running debate regarding land uses in the Maya lowlands during the Classic (AD 250-900) and Post Classic Period (AD 900-1500) – whether it was swidden, intensive agriculture, or a combination of both (Dunning and Beach 2000). I argue, in fact, that the presence of mahogany provides evidence that both land use strategies were employed simultaneously. While it is impossible to state with precision how abundant mahogany was at any time in the past - before, during, or after the Maya Classic - we can generally assume, based on the number of trees logged in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, that at least the conditions were right during and after the Maya collapse for the mahogany to establish itself in great numbers. Logging records that were kept in places such as British Honduras indicate that the mahogany was a relatively common species, making its harvest a very lucrative endeavor (Camille 2000).

The Presence of Mahogany in the Modern Maya Lowlands

Mahogany has been for several centuries and continues to be the most prized timber species in the American tropics, at times accounting for a large percentage of overall export income in certain tropical countries. In Belize for example, mahogany became the leading export in late 1700s and remained so until the middle 1900s, making up "over 70 percent of the annual export value of all of the colony's domestic goods" at the high point in its exploitation (Camille 2000:108). Mahogany exports peaked at 15 million square feet in 1930, but have declined since then as stocks have been exhausted (Camille 2000). Similarly, mahogany has been commercially logged for over 400 years in Mexico and Honduras (Snook 1996). Given past harvesting rates, today, mahogany is largely logged out of most of the Maya forests (Turner et al. 2001; Klepeis 2004). However, a few very old individuals can be found in more rugged areas within the Maya lowlands.

Although mahogany, like most tropical tree species, does not dominate the overall community composition in late successional forests, its presence was substantial enough so that large of amounts of timber were logged from the Maya lowlands (Snook 1998). Mahogany was so abundant in the past that it is often listed as a common indicator species for lowland tropical evergreen rainforest and seasonal forest (Greller 2000). In order for mahogany to be present in old growth forests in the Maya lowlands...