Editorial mesoamerican paleoecology
Mesoamerica covers a vast area of Central America and Mexico, with different eco-geographical patterns and a highly variable climate and vegetation. This megadiverse area is characterized by tropical forests, high mountain vegetation, and a long history of human occupation since the middle Holocene. The present climate in Mesoamerica varies from moist to dry and warm to cool conditions. The complexity of all biological and physical settings makes it difficult to decipher Mesoamerica's past, present, and future from a paleoecological point of view. Since the European Discovery of America in 1492, environmental change and human activity have shaped Mesoamerican vegetation, but ancient cultures changed the natural environment over at least 4,000 years under different climate and landscape conditions (Hodell et al., 1995; Islebe et al., 2019). Our Research Topic “Mesoamerican paleoecology” analyzes past ecological dynamics in this important region for biodiversity conservation. Nature–human interaction is a relevant aspect of this topic, and participating authors have contemplated the role of the climate in the demise of the ancient Maya civilization. The articles in this Research Topic include different proxies, methodological approaches (Ford; García-Arriola et al.; Lentz et al.), and views that we hope will foster further discussion, insights, and methods to improve our understanding of Mesoamerican paleoecology and its relevance to conservation.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Paleoecología, Mayas, Paleohidrología, Paleoclimatología, Artfrosur, |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1161102 |
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