HabitatNet: Disturbance Past & Present

Archeological work at El Eden Ecological Reserve suggests that a sizeable Mayan population lived and farmed this region until the 5th Century A.D. Several canal and dike-like structures have been identified in or near the savannah-swamp plant community in the Karstic depressions. Apparently, the wetland areas were manipulated for agricultural purposes.

More recent human use has included logging of selected tree species, harvesting chicle, and some ranching. However, it is worth noting that the post-Mayan human population density has been low in the region outside of Cancun.

Natural disturbances that contribute to the successional mosaic of forest patches found in this region include: periodic hurricanes (wind damage and flooding) and fires caused by lightning during the drier months of the year (April - early August).

These natural disturbances have probably created numerous and often biogeographic islands, or patches, within the Yucatan. It is certainly within the realm of speculation that these disturbance factors have enabled populations to become isolated from one another and speciate (thus, yielding the high percentage of endemic species noted in biological studies conducted in this region).