Tomasz Falkowski
Postdoctoral Fellow, Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University
Sustainability Perspectives Series: “The Effects of Fire Management on Ecosystem Services and Geochemical Cycling in Traditional Maya Swidden Agro Ecosystems”
de Witt Lecture Room 106, Zabriskie Hall
Slash-and-burn agriculture is often condemned for contributing to climate change and deforestation. Preliminary evidence, however, suggests that burning offers important ecosystem services that would be lost should traditional practices be totally abandoned. Tomasz Falkowski will explore all sides of this seeming dichotomy, in particular as it pertains to the Maya of southern Mexico and the Mexican federal government’s attempts to change the Mayan system of fire management.