Meets the following requirements: ES

Although we all need to eat, what we do and do not eat is determined by a complex interplay of social, economic, and ecological forces.  In this course we examine the agricultural ecosystems of the Yucatan by following the production of corn, the most important grain of the Maya and Mexico.  We will enter into current milpa systems of the northern Yucatan Peninsula in order to understand the expression,  "Si no hay maiz, no hay vida" (If there is no corn, there is no life) in all of its complexity.   For each parcel of land that we visit, we will consider the social, economic and ecological forces that together determine what is currently growing on the land.  This will be used to unpack the history of different land uses ranging from the production of oranges and sisal to forage for cattle to corn in a milpa, a highly diverse polyculture.  Evaluations are based on class participation, homework problem sets, plant family identification, class participation, a final critique, and the effective incorporation of course material into an independent, interdisciplinary field project.

Level:  Intermediate.  Prerequisites:  consent of the instructor or one of the following:  Biology I, plant biology, ecology, or economics.  *ES*